Species comparison
Flat-headed Cat vs Leopard Cat
A side-by-side look at Prionailurus planiceps and Prionailurus bengalensis across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The leopard cat averages about 2.1 times the body mass of the flat-headed cat.
- Both species use tropical rainforest.
- Their ranges both include Asia.
- Red List categories differ: Flat-headed Cat is listed as Endangered, Leopard Cat as Least Concern.
Identification
How each species is named and classified.
Flat-headed Cat
Prionailurus planiceps
Leopard Cat
Prionailurus bengalensis
Flat-headed Cat
Prionailurus
Leopard Cat
Prionailurus
Flat-headed Cat
Leopard cat lineage
Leopard Cat
Leopard cat lineage
Flat-headed Cat
Small cats
Leopard Cat
Small cats
Flat-headed Cat
Kucing hutan
Leopard Cat
Mainland leopard cat, Amur leopard cat
Body and movement
Published field measurements for adults. Ranges cover both sexes unless noted.
Flat-headed Cat
16 in – 20 in (41–50 cm)
Leopard Cat
15 in – 2 ft 2 in (38–66 cm) Longer
Flat-headed Cat
5 in – 8 in (13–20 cm)
Leopard Cat
7 in – 12 in (17–31 cm) Longer
Flat-headed Cat
7 in – 9 in (18–22 cm)
Leopard Cat
8 in – 11 in (20–28 cm) Taller
Flat-headed Cat
3.3–5.5 lb (1.5–2.5 kg)
Known from a small number of measured specimens.
Leopard Cat
2.6–15 lb (1.2–7 kg) Heavier
Tropical animals often weigh under 3 kg; northern animals reach 6–7 kg.
Flat-headed Cat
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Leopard Cat
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Life span
Typical adult longevity. Figures for managed care come from zoo and sanctuary records.
Flat-headed Cat
8–10 years
Leopard Cat
8–12 years Longer
Flat-headed Cat
10–14 years
Leopard Cat
13–17 years Longer
Habitat and range
Where each species lives and the conditions it tolerates.
Flat-headed Cat
wetland, tropical rainforest, mangrove
Peat swamp forest, riverine forest and freshwater swamp in lowland areas, almost always within a short distance of water.
Leopard Cat
tropical rainforest, temperate forest, boreal forest, montane forest, agricultural mosaic
Nearly any wooded or shrubby habitat below about 10,000 feet, including secondary forest, plantation edges and farmland with cover.
Flat-headed Cat
Asia
Peninsular Malaysia, southern Thailand, Borneo and Sumatra, in an increasingly fragmented set of lowland wetland sites.
Leopard Cat
Asia
From the Russian Far East, Korea and eastern China through the Himalaya and South Asia to mainland South East Asia.
Diet and behaviour
Feeding ecology, social organisation and hunting technique.
Flat-headed Cat
fish, amphibians, small mammals, insects
Fish, frogs and crustaceans dominate, with rodents and insects taken as well.
Leopard Cat
small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, fish
Rodents make up the bulk of the diet, with birds, lizards, frogs, fish and large insects taken opportunistically.
Flat-headed Cat
Solitary
Very rarely observed; almost all modern records come from camera traps set along watercourses.
Leopard Cat
Solitary
Adaptable and comparatively common; individuals hold modest home ranges and tolerate a good deal of human activity.
Flat-headed Cat
Nocturnal
Night active, with occasional records around dusk.
Leopard Cat
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Chiefly night active, with more daytime movement in undisturbed forest and in cold northern winters.
Flat-headed Cat
Shallow-water grabbing
Hunts by wading in shallow water and seizing prey with the forepaws, plunging the head beneath the surface.
Leopard Cat
Active search on the ground
Covers ground steadily through cover, pouncing on rodents and flushing birds; it also fishes in shallow streams.
Flat-headed Cat
Capable
Climbs adequately but forages almost entirely at water level.
Leopard Cat
Strong More developed
A confident climber that dens in tree hollows.
Flat-headed Cat
Exceptional More developed
Highly aquatic, with partially webbed feet and a strong association with permanent water.
Leopard Cat
Strong
Swims well and has colonised numerous offshore islands.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Flat-headed Cat
EN — Endangered
Assessed 2015
Leopard Cat
LC — Least Concern
Assessed 2015
Flat-headed Cat
Decreasing
Leopard Cat
Stable
Flat-headed Cat
Drainage of peat swamp forest, Conversion to oil-palm plantation, Water pollution and fish depletion, Snaring, Extreme habitat fragmentation
Assessed as Endangered, with a very small estimated population. Over two-thirds of the lowland wetland habitat it depends on has been drained, converted or degraded.
Leopard Cat
Hunting for fur and meat, Road mortality, Intensification of plantation agriculture, Persecution near poultry, Hybridisation pressure from domestic cats
The most secure of the Asian small cats, though hunting for skins, road mortality and intensive plantation agriculture reduce numbers locally.
Notable traits
Details that do not fit neatly into a measurement table.
Flat-headed Cat
- Its eyes are set unusually far forward, giving the wide binocular field needed to judge prey underwater.
- The claws retract only partly, leaving them permanently ready for gripping.
- Captive individuals have been recorded washing food in water before eating.
Leopard Cat
- Remains from Neolithic Chinese villages show leopard cats hunting rodents around early grain stores.
- Northern and tropical populations differ so much in size and coat that they were long treated as many subspecies.
- It is one of the few small Asian cats that regularly hunts fish in shallow water.
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.
- World Wildlife Fund Range descriptions, threat summaries and conservation programme reporting.
- 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.
- National Geographic — Animals General natural-history reference for behaviour, range and ecology.