CreatureData

Fishing cat vs Leopard cat

The fishing cat is heavier: 9.14 kg against 3.3 kg for the leopard cat, about 2.8 times the weight.

Fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus)
Fishing cat VUVulnerable
Photo: Kelinahandbasket · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis)
Leopard cat LCLeast Concern
Photo: Soumyajit Nandy · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

What is the difference between a fishing cat and a leopard cat?

Each point below is worked out from a pair of recorded values.

  • The fishing cat is heavier: 9.14 kg against 3.3 kg for the leopard cat, about 2.8 times the weight.
  • The fishing cat is longer-lived: 17.1 years against 15 years for the leopard cat, about 14% longer.
  • Both belong to the genus Prionailurus, so they are close relatives.
  • The fishing cat is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List; the leopard cat is Least Concern.

Side by side

Fishing catLeopard cat
Scientific namePrionailurus viverrinusPrionailurus bengalensis
FamilyFelidaeFelidae
OrderCarnivoraCarnivora
Weight9.14 kg – 10.7 kg3.3 kg – 4.15 kg
Length57 cm – 78 cmNot recorded
Lifespan17.1 years15 years
Main foodvertebratesNot recorded
Habitatriverine, wetlandforest
Conservation statusVulnerableLeast Concern
Countries recordedNot recordedNot recorded

A scale drawing needs a recorded length for both animals; only weights are on record for this pair.

Full record: Fishing catFull record: Leopard catCompare other animals