Species comparison
Marbled Cat vs Leopard Cat
A side-by-side look at Pardofelis marmorata and Prionailurus bengalensis across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The leopard cat averages about 1.2 times the body mass of the marbled cat.
- Both species use tropical rainforest and montane forest.
- Their ranges both include Asia.
- Red List categories differ: Marbled Cat is listed as Near Threatened, Leopard Cat as Least Concern.
Identification
How each species is named and classified.
Marbled Cat
Pardofelis marmorata
Leopard Cat
Prionailurus bengalensis
Marbled Cat
Pardofelis
Leopard Cat
Prionailurus
Marbled Cat
Bay cat lineage
Leopard Cat
Leopard cat lineage
Marbled Cat
Small cats
Leopard Cat
Small cats
Marbled Cat
—
Leopard Cat
Mainland leopard cat, Amur leopard cat
Body and movement
Published field measurements for adults. Ranges cover both sexes unless noted.
Marbled Cat
18 in – 2 ft (45–62 cm) Longer
Leopard Cat
15 in – 2 ft 2 in (38–66 cm)
Marbled Cat
14 in – 22 in (35–55 cm) Longer
Leopard Cat
7 in – 12 in (17–31 cm)
Marbled Cat
10 in – 13 in (26–32 cm) Taller
Leopard Cat
8 in – 11 in (20–28 cm)
Marbled Cat
4.4–11 lb (2–5 kg)
Few animals have been weighed; estimates rest on a small sample.
Leopard Cat
2.6–15 lb (1.2–7 kg) Heavier
Tropical animals often weigh under 3 kg; northern animals reach 6–7 kg.
Marbled 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.
Marbled Cat
10–12 years Longer
Leopard Cat
8–12 years
Marbled Cat
12–16 years
Leopard Cat
13–17 years Longer
Habitat and range
Where each species lives and the conditions it tolerates.
Marbled Cat
tropical rainforest, montane forest
Moist evergreen forest with a closed canopy, from lowlands to about 9,000 feet; the species is also recorded from selectively logged and secondary forest.
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.
Marbled Cat
Asia
The eastern Himalaya and north-east India through Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Malaysia to Borneo and Sumatra.
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.
Marbled Cat
birds, small mammals, reptiles, insects
Squirrels, rats, birds, lizards and insects, taken largely in trees.
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.
Marbled Cat
Solitary
Highly arboreal and rarely detected on the ground, which is one reason camera-trap records are so scarce.
Leopard Cat
Solitary
Adaptable and comparatively common; individuals hold modest home ranges and tolerate a good deal of human activity.
Marbled Cat
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Mostly night active, though some studies report daytime movement in undisturbed forest.
Leopard Cat
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Chiefly night active, with more daytime movement in undisturbed forest and in cold northern winters.
Marbled Cat
Canopy pursuit
Hunts among branches, chasing squirrels and birds through the canopy rather than ambushing from the ground.
Leopard Cat
Active search on the ground
Covers ground steadily through cover, pouncing on rodents and flushing birds; it also fishes in shallow streams.
Marbled Cat
Exceptional More developed
Among the most arboreal of the small cats, with a long tail used constantly for balance.
Leopard Cat
Strong
A confident climber that dens in tree hollows.
Marbled Cat
Limited
No notable association with water.
Leopard Cat
Strong More developed
Swims well and has colonised numerous offshore islands.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Marbled Cat
NT — Near Threatened
Assessed 2015
Leopard Cat
LC — Least Concern
Assessed 2015
Marbled Cat
Decreasing
Leopard Cat
Stable
Marbled Cat
Deforestation and canopy loss, Snaring, Habitat fragmentation, Trade in skins, Sparse population data
Assessed as Near Threatened. Loss of continuous canopy forest is the dominant threat, and the species is also caught incidentally in snares.
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.
Marbled Cat
- Its tail can equal head-body length, one of the highest ratios among cats.
- Canine teeth are large relative to skull size, a trait shared with the clouded leopards.
- The coat pattern is a striking case of two unrelated forest cats converging on the same camouflage.
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.
- 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.