The Visayan leopard cat is a Sunda leopard cat (Prionailurus javanensis sumatranus) population. It has been listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List in 2008 under its former scientific name P. bengalensis rabori as its range is estimated to be less than 20,000 km2 (7,700 sq mi), and the population was thought to be decreasing.
The fur of the Visayan leopard cat is dark ochre to buffy fawn with large and dark spots. Its skull is a little narrower than of Sumatran leopard cat and Bornean leopard cat.
Visayan leopard cats are found only in the Philippine Islands of Negros, Cebu, and Panay. They live in tropical forests and in Cebu, these wild cats have also been recorded in sugarcane farms. Visayan leopard cats are probably locally extinct or close to extinction on the islands of Cebu and Masbate.
Leopard cats are solitary animals and spend time with each other only during the breeding season or when raising their young. They are usually active at night or from late afternoon to early morning when they do their hunting. Leopard cats are territorial. Males tend to have larger home ranges than females and each male's range overlaps one or more female ranges. Leopard cats are excellent climbers and often rest and hunt in trees. They are also very good swimmers.
Leopard cats are carnivores and mainly prey on various rodents such as rats and mice but their diet also includes birds, amphibians, insects, fish, lizards, snakes, and frogs.
Little is known about the reproductive behavior of leopard cats. In general, the gestation period lasts about 56-70 days and females give birth to 2-3 young. They become reproductively mature at around 18 months old, but sometimes as young as 8 months.
The biggest threat to Visayan leopard cats is the loss of their native habitat. Panay and Negros islands where these animals inhabit remnant forest fragments have lost 90%-95 % of their natural habitat.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Visayan leopard cat total population size. Presently, the Sunda leopard cat species is not included in the IUCN Red List and its conservation status has not been evaluated.