Species comparison
Leopard Cat vs Sunda Leopard Cat
A side-by-side look at Prionailurus bengalensis and Prionailurus javanensis across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The leopard cat averages about 1.4 times the body mass of the sunda leopard cat.
- Both species use tropical rainforest and montane forest.
- Their ranges both include Asia.
- Both are currently listed as Least Concern on the Red List.
Identification
How each species is named and classified.
Leopard Cat
Prionailurus bengalensis
Sunda Leopard Cat
Prionailurus javanensis
Leopard Cat
Prionailurus
Sunda Leopard Cat
Prionailurus
Leopard Cat
Leopard cat lineage
Sunda Leopard Cat
Leopard cat lineage
Leopard Cat
Small cats
Sunda Leopard Cat
Small cats
Leopard Cat
Mainland leopard cat, Amur leopard cat
Sunda Leopard Cat
Javan leopard cat
Body and movement
Published field measurements for adults. Ranges cover both sexes unless noted.
Leopard Cat
15 in – 2 ft 2 in (38–66 cm) Longer
Sunda Leopard Cat
16 in – 24 in (40–60 cm)
Leopard Cat
7 in – 12 in (17–31 cm) Longer
Sunda Leopard Cat
7 in – 12 in (17–30 cm)
Leopard Cat
8 in – 11 in (20–28 cm) Taller
Sunda Leopard Cat
8 in – 10 in (20–26 cm)
Leopard Cat
2.6–15 lb (1.2–7 kg) Heavier
Tropical animals often weigh under 3 kg; northern animals reach 6–7 kg.
Sunda Leopard Cat
3.3–9.9 lb (1.5–4.5 kg)
Consistently lighter than northern mainland leopard cats.
Leopard Cat
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Sunda 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.
Leopard Cat
8–12 years
Sunda Leopard Cat
8–12 years
Leopard Cat
13–17 years Longer
Sunda Leopard Cat
13–16 years
Habitat and range
Where each species lives and the conditions it tolerates.
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.
Sunda Leopard Cat
tropical rainforest, montane forest, agricultural mosaic, mangrove
Lowland and hill forest, secondary growth, plantation edges and farmland; the species uses oil-palm landscapes where rodents are abundant and cover remains.
Leopard Cat
Asia
From the Russian Far East, Korea and eastern China through the Himalaya and South Asia to mainland South East Asia.
Sunda Leopard Cat
Asia
Java, Bali, Borneo, Sumatra, Palawan and other Philippine islands, and smaller islands across the Sunda Shelf.
Diet and behaviour
Feeding ecology, social organisation and hunting technique.
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.
Sunda Leopard Cat
small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects
Rats and mice dominate, along with birds, lizards, frogs and invertebrates.
Leopard Cat
Solitary
Adaptable and comparatively common; individuals hold modest home ranges and tolerate a good deal of human activity.
Sunda Leopard Cat
Solitary
Common in many surveys and comparatively tolerant of modified landscapes, provided some cover and rodent prey persist.
Leopard Cat
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Chiefly night active, with more daytime movement in undisturbed forest and in cold northern winters.
Sunda Leopard Cat
Nocturnal
Strongly night active, with camera-trap records clustering well after dark.
Leopard Cat
Active search on the ground
Covers ground steadily through cover, pouncing on rodents and flushing birds; it also fishes in shallow streams.
Sunda Leopard Cat
Active ground search
Patrols plantation rows, forest edge and stream banks, hunting rodents and ground-nesting birds.
Leopard Cat
Strong
A confident climber that dens in tree hollows.
Sunda Leopard Cat
Strong
Climbs and dens in trees, though most hunting is terrestrial.
Leopard Cat
Strong
Swims well and has colonised numerous offshore islands.
Sunda Leopard Cat
Strong
Swims capably, which has helped the species reach numerous islands.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Leopard Cat
LC — Least Concern
Assessed 2015
Sunda Leopard Cat
LC — Least Concern
Assessed 2021
Leopard Cat
Stable
Sunda Leopard Cat
Decreasing
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.
Sunda Leopard Cat
Forest conversion to plantation, Snaring and hunting for skins, Rodenticide use in plantations, Road mortality, Pet trade
Still widespread and locally common, but hunting for skins, snaring and the conversion of forest to plantation reduce numbers in parts of the range.
Notable traits
Details that do not fit neatly into a measurement table.
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.
Sunda Leopard Cat
- The species was separated from the mainland leopard cat in 2017 on genetic and morphological evidence.
- It is one of the few wild cats that appears to benefit, at least temporarily, from rodent booms in plantation landscapes.
- Island populations vary enough in size and markings that further taxonomic work is likely.
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.
- 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.
- World Wildlife Fund Range descriptions, threat summaries and conservation programme reporting.