The coloration of Felis bengalensis varies somewhat throughout its range. The leopard cat tends to be yellowish-brown in the tropics and greyish-brown in the northern parts of its range. Most often, it is pale tawny on the upper parts and white on the underparts. The body and tail are covered with dark spots, with stripes running down the back of the head. These break into short bands and elongated spots down the middle of the back. The tail has indistinct rings toward its tip. Felis bengalensis measures 60 - 90 cm (head and body) with a tail length of 28 - 37 cm and a shoulder height of 20 - 45 cm. There is sexual dimorphism; males weigh more than females. The eyes are outlined with white stripes that originate at the internal corners and streak across the cheeks.

Besides living in a variety of habitats, the leopard cat usually lives near a reliable water source. Felis bengalensis is found at high and low altitudes, often in areas of secondary growth. It has even been known to live and breed in agricultural areas such as coffee plantations.

Biomes: tropical rainforest, tropical deciduous forest, temperate forest & rainforest, tropical scrub forest, temperate grassland.

Palearctic, Oriental: Felis bengalensis is widely distributed throughout Asia, including several islands. It is found from Java and Bali, north to southeastern Siberia and Manchuria, as far east as India, and westward to Korea and the Philippines.

Births have been reported to occur in May (breeding from February-March) in Siberia and India, however, the populations found in Southeast Asia breed throughout the year. After a gestation of 65 - 70 days, the female Felis bengalensis has a litter containing 1 - 4 young (usually 2 - 3), which are born with their eyes closed. The eyes open at 10 days and the young are independent by 18 months. Sometimes the male participates in rearing the young. The young reach sexual maturity at 8 - 10 months of age and may live up to 15 years. The teeth however, are lost at 8 - 10 years of age.

The diet of Felis bengalensis consists mostly of rodents, with the rajah rat (Maxomys surifer) comprising the majority of the diet for a Thailand population. However, it also consumes small ungulates, hares, insectavores, mustelids, pigs, lizards, snakes, birds, reptiles, insects, eels, fish, crab, and occassionally carrion. This diet may also include domestic poultry raided from neighboring human establishments.

Felis bengalensis is a solitary animal that sleeps in small caves or hollow trees. Felis bengalensis was thought to be mainly nocturnal, however a Thailand population has been found to have an arrhythmic activity pattern throughout the day. This may be explained by the need to exploit a wide variety of prey. Although this species is mainly terrestrial, it is arboreal to some extent, climbing heights of over 20 meters. In addition, Felis bengalensis is an excellent swimmer, which may explain many offshore populations. This species is mainly solitary with average home ranges of 1.5 - 7.5 km2 (core areas of .7 - 2 km2) that overlap with other individuals. These large areas are required to sustain the carnivorous diet of Felis bengalensis.

Although Felis bengalensis is common relative to other felids, several island populations are vulnerable due to their small sizes. Even though this cat may seem quite adaptable due to the many habitats in which it lives, where forests are threatened, so are the leopard cats. Also, hunting may threaten certain populations of Felis bengalensis. There is national legislation prohibiting the hunting of Felis bengalensis in Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, and Taiwan. Hunting and trade are regulated in Bhutan, Brunei, China, Philippines, and Vietnam. To safeguard wild populations, captive breeding is being developed for some island populations. Also, the most problematic area for Felis bengalensis is China, where it is heavily hunted for its fur; 400,000 skins were exported annually from 1985 - 1988. After a European import ban, Japan has taken over as the main importer of fur. To protect the future of Felis bengalensis, the Cat Action Plan has started researching China's leopard cat harvest, management, and market organization. Ecological field research will also provide data for protected versus harvested populations of Felis bengalensis.

Since Felis bengalensis is such an accomplished swimmer and has populated many islands, several populations have been isolated. As may be expected, these populations may have differentiated to the point of speciation. A great deal of zoological research into the reproductive biology of Felis bengalensis is underway. In vitro fertilization and laparoscopic artificial insemination techniques have helped zoos maintain genetically diverse captive populations. The techniques established in the domestic cat and the leopard cat can be applied to more endangered felines maintained by zoological parks.

Nowak, Ronald. Walker's Mammals Of The World. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999