The Puzzeling locations of the Fishing Cat

The wetlands are vitally important to the fishing cat because the wetlands protect the water quality and mitigating floods and draught, and also provide protection from tropical storms. A main site for fishing cats is at the mouth of the Ganges River. It is called the Sundarbans. It attracts lots of fishing cats as well as humans because of the plentiful supply of fish. Because fishing cats are found here they are known as an indicator species. This means that their presence in a certain area indicates that an ecosystem is operating at its highest quality.

Biologists over the past century have plotted the presence of these cats throughout Asia. They have learned that the species have several separate populations that have no connection between them. It is believed however, that they could have been connected during the Pleistocene era, which had sea leavels that were 289 feet lower than they are today.

Fishing cats are found today on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java. Sumatra and Java used to be connected by a land bridge called the Sunda Straits but water has now separated the two. It is puzzling however that there are no fishing cats found on the island of Borneo which was also once connected to Sumatra and Java. Even more strange is that they are absent from the Malaysia Peninsula which is just below Thailand and which has a strong population of fishing cats.

The population is also found in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. In both these places they are restricted to the forests and grasslands of the Himalayas. There are a couple of isolated populations that are found in well watered habitats nested in the tropical dry forest of northern India (16).

How to Save the Fishing Cat

Fishing Cat Project:
The Fishing Cat project has four parts that each contribute to the fishing cats in Thailand and Southeast Asia. The first part is the regional map of the cat distribution and conservation statues. It includes all current and historical data on the cat throughout Southeast Asia.

The second part is a detailed study of the ecology of the fishing cat in their natural habitat. It was initiated in Thale Noi, a 500 km Ramsar wetland in Southern Thailand that is a non hunting area. It is also the only site where fishing cats have been documented and recorded in the past 10 years. This information will provide biologists with an idea, on which to plan subsequent ecological research and conservation efforts.

A third part of the project is taking advantage of the project’s live capture component to screen animals for zoonotic diseases. Types of diseases that are affecting these cats are Avian influenza, SARS, and other diseases that are health concerns for both wildlife and human populations. Members of the project are working with regional partners to make sure that their work contributes to current disease research.

The last part of the project is the education and outreach to the rest of the world. Members have taken the information they have collected from research and activities and used it in presentations, posters, and other tools to raise awareness and help the fishing cat and other wetland dependant animals (5).

Here is a link of pictures I found of a family that actually owns a fishing cat and has it as a household pet

http://www.hemmy.net/2007/10/21/extreme-pets-fishing-cat/?cp=1

The Red List-Why they have made the list

The Red List is an organization that has been working for years on the conservation of different types of species. They provide information on the species that have made the list. It was designed to determine the risk of extinction, and to then categorize the species into different levels of risk. These levels include critically endangered, endangered, and vulnerable. They also have extinct or extinct in the wild. The fishing cat in part has made the Red List under the category of endangered (14).

Why they are endangered:
In 1994 the population status of the cat was unknown. By 1996 their status was at a lower risk or near threatened. From the years 2002-2005 the cats became vulnerable. Today in the year 2009 the cats are now endangered (2). How did this come about? Fishing cats have become endangered due to habitat loss and over hunting. Humans who are constantly looking for more land to build homes and roads on have drained the wetlands to make this room. They have also drained the wetlands for agricultural space and have cut down trees for wood (2). A recent survey showed that more than 50% of Asian wetlands are at high threats and are disappearing (3). Not only this but pollutants from industries have seeped into the water and poisoned the water and the animals in it which the cat depends on (1). As for the animal itself, it has been over hunted for its fur and meat (2).

My next blog will be about how we as humans are trying to save this cat.

Fun Facts About the Fishing Cat

Description:

The fishing cat is one cat that contradicts the idea that cats do not like water. They are found frequently in the water catching fish, hence its name (11). The weight of a a male fishing cat is 25 pounds and a female is 15. The length of their body from the head to the tail is 25 to 34 inches. They have large bodies and small legs, broad head and round ears. They are an olive-gray and have black stripes (1). These lines start off very defined near their neck and merge into short streaks or lines. On their underneath they are white and have two dark collars on their throat. Their tail is also short and has several black rings and a black tip (2). Unfortunatly, there are very few of these cats around. According to the International Species Information Service there are 256 worldwide, 68 which are found here in the US (3). Listed on the Red List, which is a list for endangered species, the fishing cat has been listed as endangered with a population trend that is steadily decreasing (12).

Habitat:

The fishing cat is found in areas with lots of vegitation and areas near water such as marshes, mongroves, rivers, wetlands, and streams. It has been recorded that these cats can live at elevations as high as 1800m (1,2). Areas that include these type of living condtitions are southwest India, Sri Lanka, countries in the southern Himalayas, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, China, and the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra (1). It is rare to find these cats in the Indus Valley of Pakistan and in Kerala in southewest India (2).

Diet:

The fishing cat like many other types of cats is a nocturnal hunter (2). Most of what the cat eats is fish, which they swim in the water to catch. They attract the fish by patting the water with their paw, imitating the movement of an insect (1). For prey such as crustaceans, mollusks, frogs and snakes, they use their paws to scoop them out of the water. They can also swim under water to catch ducks or other types of birds (1). As it swims underwater it uses its tail like a rudder to propel it through the current (1). The cat is a strong swimmer and can also swim very long distances (2). Not only do they eat water animals, but they also eat land animals as most cats do. Rodents, civets, young chital fawns, wild pigs, and even domestic animals make up this cat's diet as well (3).

Reproduction:

Very little is known about the mating and social behavior of the fishing cat. However, what is known is that after a time period of about 63 days pregnant female fishing cats give birth to two or three young cubs. At birth the cubs weigh about 3-6 pounds and continues to gain 11 grams per day. At day 16 they begin to open their eyes and by day 53 they start eating meat (3). These cubs reach full size before their first birthday, roughly at about 8-9 months (1). Births of these cubs are usually around March - April meaning that mating occurs sometime between January-February (2). Their life span is about 10-12 years (3).