Species comparison
Chinese Mountain Cat vs European Wildcat
A side-by-side look at Felis bieti and Felis silvestris across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The chinese mountain cat averages about 1.4 times the body mass of the european wildcat.
- The two species occupy different habitat types with no overlap in our classification.
- Their ranges both include Asia.
- Red List categories differ: Chinese Mountain Cat is listed as Vulnerable, European Wildcat as Least Concern.
Identification
How each species is named and classified.
Chinese Mountain Cat
Felis bieti
European Wildcat
Felis silvestris
Chinese Mountain Cat
Felis
European Wildcat
Felis
Chinese Mountain Cat
Domestic cat lineage
European Wildcat
Domestic cat lineage
Chinese Mountain Cat
Small cats
European Wildcat
Small cats
Chinese Mountain Cat
Chinese desert cat, Chinese steppe cat
European Wildcat
Forest wildcat, Scottish wildcat
Body and movement
Published field measurements for adults. Ranges cover both sexes unless noted.
Chinese Mountain Cat
24 in – 2 ft 9 in (60–85 cm) Longer
European Wildcat
19 in – 2 ft 7 in (47–80 cm)
Chinese Mountain Cat
11 in – 16 in (29–41 cm) Longer
European Wildcat
10 in – 15 in (26–37 cm)
Chinese Mountain Cat
11 in – 13 in (28–34 cm)
European Wildcat
14 in – 16 in (35–40 cm) Taller
Chinese Mountain Cat
14–20 lb (6.5–9 kg) Heavier
Based on a small number of measured animals.
European Wildcat
6.6–18 lb (3–8 kg)
Males commonly 4–8 kg, females 3–5 kg; weight varies seasonally.
Chinese Mountain Cat
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
European Wildcat
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Life span
Typical adult longevity. Figures for managed care come from zoo and sanctuary records.
Chinese Mountain Cat
8–10 years Longer
European Wildcat
7–10 years
Chinese Mountain Cat
10–14 years
European Wildcat
15–18 years Longer
Habitat and range
Where each species lives and the conditions it tolerates.
Chinese Mountain Cat
steppe, rocky alpine, grassland
Alpine meadow, steppe and shrubland on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, generally in open country with rodent colonies rather than in true desert.
European Wildcat
temperate forest, montane forest, agricultural mosaic, semi-arid scrub
Deciduous and mixed woodland with dense understorey, forest edge, scrub and riparian corridors, generally below the winter snowline.
Chinese Mountain Cat
Asia
Endemic to China, with confirmed records from Qinghai, Sichuan and Gansu provinces.
European Wildcat
Europe, Asia
Fragmented populations across Iberia, France, Italy, Germany, the Carpathians, the Balkans and Scotland, extending east into Turkey and the Caucasus.
Diet and behaviour
Feeding ecology, social organisation and hunting technique.
Chinese Mountain Cat
small mammals, birds
Plateau pikas and zokors form the core of the diet, along with voles and ground birds.
European Wildcat
small mammals, hares, birds, reptiles
Voles, mice and rabbits dominate; birds, frogs and insects are taken when rodents are scarce.
Chinese Mountain Cat
Solitary
Dens in burrows on grassland slopes; observations remain few, and much of the species' behaviour is still undocumented.
European Wildcat
Solitary and territorial
Adults hold woodland ranges marked with scent and claw marks, and avoid open ground where possible.
Chinese Mountain Cat
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Most records come from dusk and night hours, matching pika and rodent activity.
European Wildcat
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Primarily night active, with more daytime movement in undisturbed forest and during cold weather.
Chinese Mountain Cat
Listening and digging at burrows
Hunts by locating rodents acoustically in open grassland and digging them out.
European Wildcat
Stalk and pounce along cover edges
Works woodland margins, hedgerows and clearings, listening for rodents in ground vegetation.
Chinese Mountain Cat
Limited
A ground-dwelling cat in a largely treeless landscape.
European Wildcat
Strong More developed
Climbs confidently and dens in hollow trees and root cavities.
Chinese Mountain Cat
Very limited
No notable association with water.
European Wildcat
Limited More developed
Avoids water and swims only when necessary.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Chinese Mountain Cat
VU — Vulnerable
Assessed 2015
European Wildcat
LC — Least Concern
Assessed 2022
Chinese Mountain Cat
Decreasing
European Wildcat
Decreasing
Chinese Mountain Cat
Poisoning campaigns against plateau pikas, Hybridisation with domestic cats, Grassland degradation, Killing by herding dogs, Very small known range
A small range and dependence on plateau pikas make this cat vulnerable to large-scale rodent poisoning programmes. Interbreeding with free-ranging domestic cats has also been documented.
European Wildcat
Hybridisation with feral domestic cats, Disease from domestic cats, Woodland fragmentation, Road mortality, Accidental trapping
Listed as Least Concern overall, but several regional populations are in serious trouble. The Scottish population reached the point where conservation breeding and release became the main recovery tool.
Notable traits
Details that do not fit neatly into a measurement table.
Chinese Mountain Cat
- The first photographs of a wild individual were obtained only in 2007.
- Genetic work has confirmed hybridisation with village cats on the plateau.
- Its dense coat and heavily furred ears are adaptations to sustained sub-freezing temperatures.
European Wildcat
- The tail is the most reliable field mark: thick, blunt-ended and marked with distinct dark rings.
- Hybridisation is now measured genetically, since intermediate animals can look entirely wild.
- Reinforcement releases have been used in Scotland after the wild population declined to a critical level.
Sources used for this comparison
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Global assessment categories, population trends and documented threats.
- IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group Species accounts, distribution notes and Cat News reporting for every wild felid.
- Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation Dedicated research and field reporting on the lesser-known felids.
- Wildlife Conservation Society Field programmes, camera-trap surveys and population monitoring.
- Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Reviewed species accounts with morphometric ranges and reproductive data.
- World Wildlife Fund Range descriptions, threat summaries and conservation programme reporting.