# Rusty-spotted cat (*Prionailurus rubiginosus*)

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

The rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) is a mammal of the family Felidae, subfamily Felinae, in the order Carnivora. It is a medium-sized animal by our size classification, with an adult body mass from 1.35 to 1.5 kg and a representative value of 1.4 kg. The rusty-spotted cat is a nocturnal, scansorial carnivore. It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, which is not an IUCN threatened category, and has a gestation period of 68 days with 2.2 young per litter.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 1.35 kg – 1.5 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 17.9 years |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 17.9 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | forest |
| Gestation | 67.9 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 2.23 |
| Active | At night (nocturnal) |
| Lifestyle | Scansorial |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Carnivora
- family: Felidae
- genus: Prionailurus
- species: *Prionailurus rubiginosus* (I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1831)

Synonyms: *Felis rubiginosa*, *Felis rubiginosus*, *Viverriceps rubiginosa*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the rusty-spotted cat?

The rusty-spotted cat is a mammal in the family Felidae and the order Carnivora. It belongs to the genus Prionailurus.

### How much does a rusty-spotted cat weigh?

An adult Rusty-spotted cat weighs from 1.35 to 1.5 kg, with a representative value of 1.4 kg.

### What does the rusty-spotted cat eat?

The rusty-spotted cat is a carnivore. It is nocturnal and scansorial.

### Is the rusty-spotted cat endangered?

No, it is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, which is not an IUCN threatened category.

### How long does a rusty-spotted cat live?

The rusty-spotted cat has a lifespan of up to 17.9 years.

### How many young does a rusty-spotted cat have?

The rusty-spotted cat has 2.2 young per litter, after a gestation period of 68 days.

### Who named the rusty-spotted cat?

The rusty-spotted cat was named Prionailurus rubiginosus by (I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1831).

## 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: Rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/rusty-spotted-cat