Species comparison
Sunda Leopard Cat vs Fishing Cat
A side-by-side look at Prionailurus javanensis and Prionailurus viverrinus across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The fishing cat averages about 3.5 times the body mass of the sunda leopard cat.
- Both species use tropical rainforest and agricultural mosaic.
- Their ranges both include Asia.
- Red List categories differ: Sunda Leopard Cat is listed as Least Concern, Fishing Cat as Vulnerable.
Identification
How each species is named and classified.
Sunda Leopard Cat
Prionailurus javanensis
Fishing Cat
Prionailurus viverrinus
Sunda Leopard Cat
Prionailurus
Fishing Cat
Prionailurus
Sunda Leopard Cat
Leopard cat lineage
Fishing Cat
Leopard cat lineage
Sunda Leopard Cat
Small cats
Fishing Cat
Medium-sized cats
Sunda Leopard Cat
Javan leopard cat
Fishing Cat
Mach-bagral
Body and movement
Published field measurements for adults. Ranges cover both sexes unless noted.
Sunda Leopard Cat
16 in – 24 in (40–60 cm)
Fishing Cat
22 in – 2 ft 10 in (57–86 cm) Longer
Sunda Leopard Cat
7 in – 12 in (17–30 cm)
Fishing Cat
8 in – 12 in (20–30 cm) Longer
Sunda Leopard Cat
8 in – 10 in (20–26 cm)
Fishing Cat
15 in – 16 in (38–41 cm) Taller
Sunda Leopard Cat
3.3–9.9 lb (1.5–4.5 kg)
Consistently lighter than northern mainland leopard cats.
Fishing Cat
11–35 lb (5–16 kg) Heavier
Males 8.5–16 kg, females 5–7 kg; a marked size difference between the sexes.
Sunda Leopard Cat
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Fishing Cat
Not reliably measured
Not measured; the species hunts by patience and swimming, not speed.
Life span
Typical adult longevity. Figures for managed care come from zoo and sanctuary records.
Sunda Leopard Cat
8–12 years
Fishing Cat
10–12 years Longer
Sunda Leopard Cat
13–16 years
Fishing Cat
12–17 years
Habitat and range
Where each species lives and the conditions it tolerates.
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.
Fishing Cat
wetland, mangrove, agricultural mosaic, tropical rainforest
Marshes, reedbeds, oxbow lakes, mangrove creeks, tidal channels and flooded rice paddy — always close to permanent water with fish.
Sunda Leopard Cat
Asia
Java, Bali, Borneo, Sumatra, Palawan and other Philippine islands, and smaller islands across the Sunda Shelf.
Fishing Cat
Asia
Scattered wetland populations in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia (Java), with historical records from several other countries.
Diet and behaviour
Feeding ecology, social organisation and hunting technique.
Sunda Leopard Cat
small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects
Rats and mice dominate, along with birds, lizards, frogs and invertebrates.
Fishing Cat
fish, small mammals, birds, reptiles
Fish supply the majority of the diet, along with rodents, waterbirds, snakes, frogs and molluscs.
Sunda Leopard Cat
Solitary
Common in many surveys and comparatively tolerant of modified landscapes, provided some cover and rodent prey persist.
Fishing Cat
Solitary
Adults hold ranges centred on water bodies. In several countries the species now lives largely inside human-dominated wetland, including aquaculture ponds and paddy landscapes.
Sunda Leopard Cat
Nocturnal
Strongly night active, with camera-trap records clustering well after dark.
Fishing Cat
Nocturnal
Strongly night active, resting during the day in dense reed or scrub near water.
Sunda Leopard Cat
Active ground search
Patrols plantation rows, forest edge and stream banks, hunting rodents and ground-nesting birds.
Fishing Cat
Aquatic ambush and diving
Waits at the water's edge and hooks fish with a forepaw, or swims and dives to take prey below the surface.
Sunda Leopard Cat
Strong More developed
Climbs and dens in trees, though most hunting is terrestrial.
Fishing Cat
Capable
Climbs competently but spends most of its time at ground and water level.
Sunda Leopard Cat
Strong
Swims capably, which has helped the species reach numerous islands.
Fishing Cat
Exceptional More developed
One of the strongest swimmers among cats; it will swim long distances and dive fully underwater.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Sunda Leopard Cat
LC — Least Concern
Assessed 2021
Fishing Cat
VU — Vulnerable
Assessed 2016
Sunda Leopard Cat
Decreasing
Fishing Cat
Decreasing
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.
Fishing Cat
Wetland drainage and conversion, Aquaculture expansion, Retaliatory killing at fish ponds, Snaring and hunting, Pollution of waterways
Wetland loss is the central problem: drainage, aquaculture conversion, pollution and settlement have removed much of the habitat this species requires, and remaining populations are highly fragmented.
Notable traits
Details that do not fit neatly into a measurement table.
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.
Fishing Cat
- Partial webbing between the toes of the forefeet helps with swimming and with scooping fish.
- The species is the state animal of West Bengal, India.
- Conservation projects increasingly work with fish farmers, since much remaining habitat lies on private land.
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.
- Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Reviewed species accounts with morphometric ranges and reproductive data.
- Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance Wetland felid research, distribution records and conservation planning.