Among the graceful rattan palms, gorgeous orchids, huge blooming rafflesia and fluffy ferns that lush green in the depths of the Borneo jungle, sometimes you can see red spots that quickly flicker among the plants. Only the lucky ones are lucky to notice the owner of the amber-brown fur coat with their own eyes. Over the past decades, only a few have succeeded. This mysterious animal is a Kalimantan cat. In another way, it is also called a Borneo cat. This animal is so hiding from people that for some time it was considered to have disappeared from the face of the earth. Familiarize yourself with the appearance of a Kalimantan cat, its photo, size, habitat.
How did you learn to study the animal?
The wild beauty of Borneo for a long time was impossible to catch. How, then, were the features of the anatomy and lifestyle of an island resident investigated. Scientists had only 12 animal skins. A real luck for zoologists was the incident of 1992, when they first caught a Kalimantan cat. Five years later, another instance of a rare animal came across. Scientists cleverly placed special trap chambers in the right places of nature reserves. They recorded several more appearances of cats carefully hiding from human eyes.
Description of the Kalimantan cat
This rare type of cat belongs to the catopuma genus. In 2007, an estimated number of these individuals was established - 2, 500. As already noted, this feline family has been studied very little. The Borneo beauty looks like a big domestic cat with a long body and tail. Her ears are rounded, located on the sides of the head, and not on top. This property distinguishes it from other wild species. This predator also has a rounded skull shape.
The color of the thick shiny coat of the Borneo beauty varies within the orange-brown palette: sometimes it is gray-black, but more often red-brown. The color of this mysterious animal is evenly distributed on the sides and back. The chest, chin and underbelly are slightly lighter. Two dark brown stripes are located on the cheeks of the predator and forehead. They give the cat a predatory appearance. Pale black spots were placed on the glossy hair of the back and abdomen. Another feature: the direction of the hair on the cheeks, throat and back of the head looks forward, not back.
The back of the animal’s head is distinguished by an M-shaped marking; on top, the head has a gray-brown color. The Bornean beauty has dark brown ears and a long tail that tapers towards the end.
Body length, weight, behavior
The mass of Kalimantan cats could not be precisely determined. Scientists have only worked with bonded animals. Their weight may differ from those of individuals living in the wild. Approximately weight is 3-4 kg. Males have the same body length as females - up to 70 cm. The length of the tail reaches 40 cm.
The pretty appearance of the red-haired beast is pretty deceptive. The Kalimantan cat has a rather fierce disposition. Her diet confirms that dealing with this ferocious predator can be dangerous. A cautious night hunter feasts on birds, reptiles, rodents and insects. If there is no suitable prey, then carrion is used. In cases of severe hunger, even small monkeys can attack. Some local residents of Borneo complain that these beasts prey on poultry.
Species distribution (habitat)
Judging by the above data, the Kalimantan cat lives on the island of Borneo. Previously, this species spread throughout the entire island, but at the moment it is seen only in the northern regions. On the island of Borneo, parts of three countries are located: Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei. These wild cats were seen only in the first two.
