Mammals · Carnivora · Felidae

Asian Golden Cat

Catopuma temminckii

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

The Asian golden cat, also called Temminck's cat, is a carnivorous mammal of the family Felidae of medium build, measuring 90 cm in length plus 50 cm of tail and weighing 12 to 16 kg. In captivity it can live 20 years, in the wild considerably less. While its coat is mostly fox-red or golden brown, black or grey variants occur. Its fur is normally plain, apart from some spotting on the belly. In China, however, there is a colour variant with leopard-like spots. This spotting is a recessive character, i.e. when a spotted and a plain animal are crossed, the cub comes out plain.

Weight

8 kg – 16 kg

Size

66 cm – 1.1 m

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Irregular activity

Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

RainforestTemperate forestMountainCarnivore Variable activity Solitary Near Threatened Feline Rainforest Temperate forest Mountain Mammal

17countries 18parks39same family

Fun facts

GeneralSome local cultures held that burning its fur drove tigers away.
It has extraordinary colour variability for a cat: golden, grey, black and spotted animals may live side by side in the same forest, and for years they were thought to be separate species.
In some South-East Asian cultures it is called the fire cat, and burning one of its hairs is believed to drive off tigers, a superstition that has cost it many lives.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Moist and dry forest, montane forest and scrub of South-East Asia and the eastern Himalaya
Sexual maturity: 21 months
Gestation / incubation: 3.1 months
Litter / clutch size: 1

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catopuma_temminckii