Mammal

Fishing cat

Prionailurus viverrinus

हिन्दी: मछुआरी बिल्ली

On the Rajasthan Board's rare and threatened animals listIUCN: Vulnerable

Fishing cat with spotted coat lying on a log

Scientific name: Prionailurus viverrinus
Hindi name: मछुआरी बिल्ली
Family: Felidae, order Carnivora
Group: Mammal
Conservation status: Vulnerable

A wild cat that dives for its dinner.

Spot it Stocky, olive-grey with rows of dark spots and stripes, a short ringed tail and a broad face.
Home Marshes, reed beds and the edges of lakes and rivers.
Food web Catches fish, frogs and water birds, scooping or diving after them.
Why it matters A sign of a healthy wetland; where it lives, the water and reeds are in good shape.

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