Steppe or Spotted Cat - Talai Cat

Steppe or spotted cat— Fells libyca Forst. (in Kyrgyz: ала-мышык)

In Kyrgyzstan, the spotted (steppe) cat is common in all low-lying valleys and is numerous in the Issyk-Kul basin, as well as in the Chuy, Kochkar, and Talas valleys.

In general appearance, the steppe cat is quite similar to the forest cat, but looks somewhat smaller and lighter.

The tail is relatively longer (usually more than half the length of the body), and mainly thinner and not blunt, but pointed at the end. The comparative lightness of the steppe cat's appearance is partly due to the fact that even in winter coat, its fur does not reach the density, length, and fluffiness of the forest cat. The length of the guard hairs on the back is up to 51 mm. The bare part of the nose is not fleshy (pink) but dark or black.

On the back and sides, the fur is light grayish-yellow with numerous rounded black or dark brown spots, evenly scattered across the back and sides. On the sides, the overall background color noticeably lightens from the back to the belly. Numerous brown spots are also scattered on the head and legs. Four longitudinal dark stripes run along the nape, which sometimes descend onto the neck and further reach the shoulder blades. The belly of the steppe cat is dirty white with rare dark spots. The tail has six to eight black rings.

The head has a rather complex pattern. The upper lips are light, pale whitish.

The body length of males is 49-74 cm, tail 25-36 cm, ear height 5.5-9 cm, weight 2-6 kg; the body length of females is 44-61 cm, tail 24-34 cm, ear height 4-7 cm, weight 2-4.2 kg.

This predator hunts numerous sand hares and often attacks pheasants. In the foothills, it feeds on mouse-like rodents and gray partridges.

Everywhere, the steppe cat lives in burrows year-round, and only occasionally does its den occupy a hollow or crevice in the rocks. To arrange a nest and shelter from bad weather and enemies, the steppe cat uses other animals' burrows (badgers, foxes, porcupines). It does not dig its own burrows but sometimes enlarges the burrows of ground squirrels.

The mating season for this cat occurs from February to April; pregnancy lasts 62 days. The litter consists of 2-5 kittens, usually only 3.

Kittens are born blind and helpless but covered with a fluffy coat. Their back is pale, darker along the spine, almost light brown. The top of the neck is lighter than the back. Two dark stripes run from the eyes along the light cheeks. The forehead and crown are dotted with small brown spots. Three longitudinal stripes run along the top of the neck, and around them on the sides are two dark spots. The color of the tops of the ears is light brown, darker at the tips. Behind the ears are pale rusty spots. The tail has 3-5 dark rings, and its end is also dark. The underside of the body is creamy white with a yellowish tint in the lower part of the belly. The main background of the belly is slightly speckled with spots, and sometimes there are almost no spots. In some kittens, the spotting on the back is weakly expressed, and the spots merge into 13 vaguely noticeable transverse stripes.

Lactation lasts for 2-2.5 months. In the second half of August, the grown kittens show independence, but the mother lives with the young for a long time.

Young females reach sexual maturity at about 10 months of age.

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