FELIS-UK
The Small Wild Cat Organisation
Small Wild Cat Olympics (Round II)
Following on from last week’s Olympic Small Cats we feature some more record breaking cats.
SMALLEST OF THE SMALL WILD CATS: RUSTY SPOTTED CAT
The Smallest of the Small Wild Cats is the tiny Rusty Spotted Cat. At just roughly 45cm in length and weighing just 1kg a fully grown Rusty Spotted cat is about the size of a kitten. Nicknamed the Humming bird cat, most of these cats are found in India and also Sri Lanka. It feeds on small mammals, birds, rodents and even frogs!
THICKEST FUR: MANUL
It may not be a great surprise to our followers that the fluffiest of all the cats is the Pallas’s Cat or Manul. As you can see they have thick, long fur all over, perfect for keeping warm at high altitudes and low temperatures. In fact Pallas cats can live comfortably in climates as low as -58 degrees Fahrenheit (-50c).
BEST SWIMMER: FISHING CAT [Highly commended; Flat Headed Cat]
Again not a surprising candidate, the fishing cat is a wonderfully adapted cat for swimming. As side from the partial webbing between its toes which as we know is quiet common place even amongst domestic cats. Fishing cats can often be seen swimming and even diving into water for fish. Using its strong, thick tail as a rudder these cats have been known to swim long distances and even pursue prey underwater.
BEST CLIMBER: MARGAY [Highly commended; Clouded Leopard/Marbled Cat]
A subjective award and one difficult to decide but due to its pure agility this award goes to the Margay. Well known for its acrobatic skills and preference for heights the Margay truly is an arboreal hunter. Its morphology is perfect for life in the trees, with hind feet that can rotate 180 degrees to help climb down trees head first. Its large paws aid in jumping and its tail can measure up to 70% of its body length and act as a counterweight, great for balance in the canopy.
BIGGEST PAWS: CANADIAN LYNX [Highly commended; Clouded Leopard]
The largest paws among the Small Wild cat family go to the Canadian Lynx. Not only do these cats have huge paws they also have the ability to spread out their toes, increasing the surface area helping it manoeuvre quickly in deep snow much like a snowshoe. It also has think fur helping keep its toes warm in freezing conditions.
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