# Flat-headed cat (*Prionailurus planiceps*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/flat-headed-cat  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps) is a mammal of the order Carnivora, family Felidae and genus Prionailurus. It is a medium-sized, terrestrial and nocturnal carnivore whose diet category is piscivore. Adults have a body mass of 6.75 kg, gestation lasts 56 days, and lifespan is 14.15 years, with values up to 14.31 years. The IUCN Red List classifies it as Endangered (EN) in its global assessment, an IUCN threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 5.14 kg – 6.75 kg |
| Length | 41 cm – 50 cm |
| Lifespan | 14.2 years |
| Diet | Piscivore |
| Main food | vertebrates |
| Habitat | wetland |
| Gestation | 56 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Active | At night (nocturnal) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Endangered (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Carnivora
- family: Felidae
- genus: Prionailurus
- species: *Prionailurus planiceps* (Vigors & Horsfield, 1827)

Synonyms: *Felis planiceps*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the flat-headed cat?

The flat-headed cat is a mammal in the order Carnivora and the family Felidae, subfamily Felinae.

### Is the flat-headed cat endangered?

Yes. The IUCN Red List classifies the flat-headed cat as Endangered (EN) in its global assessment, which is an IUCN threatened category.

### What does the flat-headed cat eat?

The flat-headed cat is a piscivore, and its trophic level is carnivore.

### How heavy is the flat-headed cat?

An adult Flat-headed cat has a body mass of 6.75 kg, which places it in the medium size class.

### How long does the flat-headed cat live?

The flat-headed cat has a lifespan of 14.15 years, with values reported up to 14.31 years.

### How long is the flat-headed cat's gestation period?

The gestation period of the flat-headed cat is 56 days.

### Who named the flat-headed cat?

The flat-headed cat, Prionailurus planiceps, was named by (Vigors & Horsfield, 1827).

### Is the flat-headed cat active at night?

Yes. The flat-headed cat is nocturnal and has a terrestrial lifestyle.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/flat-headed-cat