Sci-Five | The Hindu Science Quiz: On the world’s smallest cat

The Rusty-spotted cat is one of the cat family’s smallest members, of which historical records are known only from India and Sri Lanka.

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Rusty-spotted cats are solitary, living alone in forests, more recently in agricultural areas dominated by humans.

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Very little is known about the lives of these cats, although they are thought to be nocturnal.

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Rusty-spotted cats are smaller than house cats and have slender bodies. Described as a ‘washed-out’ smaller version of the leopard cat, their more rusty-colored tail measures about half the length of their body, and is thick with less distinct spots.

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The biggest and most serious threat to the Rusty-spotted cat has been deforestation and cultivation, causing large-scale habitat loss.

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