Editing Leopard cat (section)

{{Short description|Small wild cat species}}
{{Distinguish|Leopard}}
{{speciesbox
| image = Prionailurus bengalensis bengalensis 2-Découpe.JPG
| image_caption = Indian leopard cat (''P. b. bengalensis'')
| image2 = Chat Léopard de Sibérie.jpg
| image2_caption = Amur leopard cat (''P. b. euptilura'')<br />both at the [[Parc des Félins]]
| name = Leopard cat
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |title=''Prionailurus bengalensis'' |name-list-style=amp |date=2022 |author=Ghimirey, Y. |author2=Petersen, W. |author3=Jahed, N. |author4=Akash, M. |author5=Lynam, A.J. |author6=Kun, S. |author7=Din, J. |author8=Nawaz, M.A. |author9=Singh, P. |author10=Dhendup, T. |author11=Marcus, C. |author12=Gray, T.N.E. |author13=Phyoe Kyaw, P. |page=e.T18146A212958253 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T18146A212958253.en |access-date=22 July 2022}}</ref>
| status2 = CITES_A2
| status2_system = CITES
| status2_ref = <ref name=iucn/>{{NoteTag|''Prionailurus bengalensis bengalensis'' is listed in Appendix I.}}
| genus = Prionailurus
| species = bengalensis
| authority = ([[Robert Kerr (writer)|Kerr]], 1792)
| subdivision = * ''P. b. bengalensis'' (Kerr, 1792)
* ''P. b. euptilura'' ([[Daniel Giraud Elliot|Elliott]], 1871)
| range_map = Leopard cat distribution 2022.jpg
| range_map_caption = Distribution of the leopard cat, 2022<ref name=iucn/>
}}

The '''leopard cat''' ('''''Prionailurus bengalensis''''') is a [[Felinae|small wild cat]] native to continental [[South Asia|South]], [[Southeast Asia|Southeast]], and [[East Asia]]. Since 2002 it has been listed as [[Least Concern]] on the [[IUCN Red List]] as it is widely distributed although threatened by habitat loss and hunting in parts of its range.<ref name=iucn />

Historically, the leopard cat of continental Asia was considered  the same [[species]] as the [[Sunda leopard cat]]. As of 2017, the latter is recognised as a distinct species, with the [[Taxonomy (biology)|taxonomic]] name ''Prionailurus javanensis''.<ref name=catsg>{{cite journal |last1=Kitchener |first1=A. C. |last2=Breitenmoser-Würsten |first2=C. |last3=Eizirik |first3=E. |last4=Gentry |first4=A. |last5=Werdelin |first5=L. |last6=Wilting |first6=A. |last7=Yamaguchi |first7=N. |last8=Abramov |first8=A. V. |last9=Christiansen |first9=P. |last10=Driscoll |first10=C. |last11=Duckworth |first11=J. W. |last12=Johnson |first12=W. |last13=Luo |first13=S.-J. |last14=Meijaard |first14=E. |last15=O’Donoghue |first15=P. |last16=Sanderson |first16=J. |last17=Seymour |first17=K. |last18=Bruford |first18=M. |last19=Groves |first19=C. |last20=Hoffmann |first20=M. |last21=Nowell |first21=K. |last22=Timmons |first22=Z. |last23=Tobe |first23=S. |year=2017 |title=A revised taxonomy of the Felidae: The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group |journal=Cat News |volume=Special Issue 11 |pages=26–29 |url=https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/32616/A_revised_Felidae_Taxonomy_CatNews.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y#page=28}}</ref>

Leopard cat [[subspecies]] differ widely in fur colour, tail length, skull shape and size of [[carnassial]]s.<ref name="groves97">{{cite journal |author=Groves, C. P. |year=1997 |title=Leopard-cats, ''Prionailurus bengalensis'' (Carnivora: Felidae) from Indonesia and the Philippines, with the description of two new subspecies |journal=Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde |volume=62 |pages=330–338}}</ref> Archaeological evidence indicates that the leopard cat was the first cat species domesticated in [[Neolithic]] China about 5,000 years ago in [[Shaanxi province|Shaanxi]] and [[Henan Province]]s.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Vigne |first1= J.D. |last2=Evin |first2=A. |last3=Cucchi |first3=T. |last4=Dai |first4=L. |last5=Yu |first5=C. |last6=Hu |first6=S. |last7=Soulages |first7=N. |last8=Wang |first8=W. |last9=Sun |first9=Z. |last10=Gao |first10=J. |last11=Dobney |first11=K. |last12=Yuan |first12=J. |year=2016 |title=Earliest "Domestic" Cats in China Identified as Leopard Cat (''Prionailurus bengalensis'') |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=11 |issue=1 |page=e0147295 |doi-access=free |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0147295 |pmid=26799955 |pmc=4723238 |bibcode=2016PLoSO..1147295V}}</ref>