Characteristics
Sometimes more than twice as heavy as domestic cat, this species rivals the Chinese mountain cat as the largest member of the Felis genus. True to Bergmann's Rule, the species becomes smaller-bodied closer to the tropics and largest at the northern limits of the range. Jungle cats can range from 50 to 94 cm (20 to 37 in) in length, plus a relatively short 20 to 31 cm (7.9 to 12 in) tail, and stand about 36 cm (14 in) tall. Weight varies across the range from 3 to 16 kg (6.6 to 35 lb), with a median weight of around 8 kg (18 lb). Females are slightly smaller than males. The face is relatively slender. Because of its long legs and short tail, and (in winter) a tuft of black hair on its ears, this cat resembles a small lynx. The colour of the fur varies with subspecies, yellowish-grey to reddish-brown or tawny-grey, and is ticked with black. Vertical bars are visible on the fur of kittens, which disappear in adult cats, although a few dark markings may be retained on the limbs or tail. The muzzle is white, and the underside is paler in color than the rest of the body.
The skull is fairly broad in the region of the zygomatic arch, which leads to its appearance of having a rounder head than some other cats. The ears are quite long, and relatively broad at the base, pointed towards the end, and set quite high. Small tuft of long hairs occurs on ear tips in winter. These hairs form an indistinct tassel ranging from 7 to 20 mm (0.28 to 0.79 in) in length. The fur grows to about 4000 hairs/cm² on the back, and 1700 hairs/cm² on the abdomen, and generally becomes a shade of grayish-ochre in winter. The pawprints measure about 5×6 cm, and a typical pace is 29 to 32 cm (11 to 13 in).
The most distinctive feature of a jungle cat is the presence of equal-sized claws on both fore and hind legs (unlike those of common domestic cats, for example, where hind claws are normally longer and stronger than fore). These allow it to climb down trees as easily as up, with its head facing downward.
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