DAVANGERE/TUMKURU: A rare rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus), one of the smallest members in the feline family, was spotted in the Devarayanadurga forests in Tumkur district recently. Listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the diminutive wild cat was spotted and photographed by wildlife researcher Vipin Roy while moving in the forest looking for snakes in the wee hours of Wednesday.
The animal, often referred to as the ‘hummingbird of the cat family’, can grow to 35-48 cm (14-18 in) in body length and weigh around 0.9 to 1.6 kg. It feeds on feed on birds, rodents, lizards, frogs, snakes, and insects. The species is included in the IUCN red-list. Fragmented populations of the cat occur in India and Sri Lanka and the cat is affected by loss and destruction of its prime habitat - dry deciduous forest, scrub grassland and rocky areas.
Vipin Roy said that the smallest cat is nocturnal (active at night) and spends its days in hollow logs and trees. Being a good climber helps it to escape from predators. He said that there are records of this cat being killed by locals when it attacks poultry and also sometimes mistakenly identified as leopard cubs.
“We were on a routine wildlife study. At around 2 am on Wednesday, the cat was sighted on a tree. It vanished in a flash as it is very shy in nature.”