Editing Leopard cat (section)

== Distribution and habitat ==
The leopard cat is the most widely distributed Asian small wild cat. Its range extends from the [[Amur Oblast|Amur]] region in the [[Russian Far East]] over the [[Korean Peninsula]], China, [[Indochina]], the [[Indian Subcontinent]] to northern [[Pakistan]]. It lives in tropical evergreen rainforests and plantations at sea level, in subtropical [[Deciduous forest|deciduous]] and [[coniferous forest]]s in the foothills of the [[Himalayas]] at elevations above {{cvt|1000|m}}.<ref name=WCoW/> It is able to tolerate human-modified landscapes with vegetation cover to some degree, and inhabits agriculturally used areas such as [[oil palm]] and [[sugar cane]] plantations.<ref name=WCoW/><ref name=Chua16>{{Cite journal |last1=Chua |first1=M. A. H. |last2=Sivasothi |first2=N. |last3=Meier |first3=R. |year=2016 |title=Population density, spatiotemporal use and diet of the leopard cat (''Prionailurus bengalensis'') in a human-modified succession forest landscape of Singapore |journal=Mammal Research |volume=61 |issue=2 |pages=99–108 |doi=10.1007/s13364-015-0259-4 |s2cid=14269188 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291014902 |access-date=2019-02-15 |archive-date=2022-04-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417145609/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291014902_Population_density_spatiotemporal_use_and_diet_of_the_leopard_cat_Prionailurus_bengalensis_in_a_human-modified_succession_forest_landscape_of_Singapore |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2009, a leopard cat was recorded by a [[camera trap]] in [[Nepal]]'s [[Makalu-Barun National Park]] at an elevation of {{cvt|3254|m}}. At least six individuals inhabit the survey area, which is dominated by associations of [[rhododendron]], [[oak]] and [[maple]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ghimirey |first1=Y. |last2=Ghimire |first2=B. | year=2010 |title=Leopard Cat at high altitude in Makalu-Barun National Park, Nepal |journal=Cat News |issue=52 |pages=16–17}}</ref> The highest elevation record was obtained in September 2012 at {{cvt|4474|m}} in the [[Kanchenjunga Conservation Area]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Thapa |first1=K. |last2=Pradhan |first2=N. M. B. |last3=Barker |first3=J. |last4=Dahal |first4=M. |last5=Bhandari |first5=A. R. |last6=Gurung |first6=G. S. |last7=Rai |first7=D. P. |last8=Thapa |first8=G. J. |last9=Shrestha |first9=S. |last10=Singh |first10=G. R. |year=2013 |title=High elevation record of a leopard cat in the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area, Nepal |journal=Cat News |issue=58 |pages=26–27}}</ref>

In the northeast of its range it lives close to rivers, valleys and in [[ravine]] forests, but avoids areas with more than {{cvt|10|cm}} of snowfall.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Heptner, V. G. |author2=Sludskij, A. A. |orig-year=1972 |year=1992 |title=Mlekopitajuščie Sovetskogo Soiuza. Moskva: Vysšaia Škola |trans-title=Mammals of the Soviet Union. Volume II, Part 2. Carnivora (Hyaenas and Cats) |publisher=Smithsonian Institution and the National Science Foundation |location=Washington DC |chapter=Amur, or Far Eastern Forest Cat |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/mammalsofsov221992gept#page/328/mode/2up |pages=328–355}}</ref> It is rare in Pakistan's arid treeless areas.<ref>{{cite book |author=Roberts, T. J. |year=1977 |title=The mammals of Pakistan |location=London |publisher=Ernest Benn |chapter=Leopard cat }}</ref> In [[Afghanistan]], it was reported in the 1970s from Jalalkot and Norgul in the [[Kunar Valley]], and the Waygul forest of [[Dara-I-Pech District|Dare Pech]].<ref>Habibi, K. (2004). ''Mammals of Afghanistan''. Zoo Outreach Organisation, Coimbatore, India.</ref>

In [[Thailand]]'s [[Phu Khiao Wildlife Sanctuary]], 20 leopard cats were [[Radio telemetry|radio-collared]] between 1999 and 2003. Home ranges of males ranged from {{cvt|2.2|km2}} to {{cvt|28.9 |km2}}, and of the six females from {{cvt|4.4|km2}} to {{cvt|37.1|km2}}.<ref name="lon05">{{cite journal |last1=Grassman Jr, L. I. |last2=Tewes, M. E. |last3=Silvy, N. J. |last4=Kreetiyutanont, K. |year=2005 |title=Spatial organization and diet of the leopard cat (''Prionailurus bengalensis'') in north-central Thailand |journal=Journal of Zoology |volume=266 |pages=45–54 |doi=10.1017/s095283690500659x }}</ref>
In China, it was recorded in the [[Changqing National Nature Reserve]] in the [[Qinling]] Mountains, in the Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve in the [[Min Mountains]], in [[Wolong Nature Reserve]] and other protected areas in the [[Qionglai Mountains]] and [[Daliang Mountains]] between 2002 and 2008.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Li, S.|author2=Wang, D. |author3=Lu, Z. |author4=Mc Shea, W. J. |year=2010 |title=Cats living with pandas: The status of wild felids within giant panda range, China |journal=Cat News |issue=52 |pages=20–23}}</ref>

In the [[Japanese archipelago]], the leopard cat is currently restricted to the islands of [[Iriomote Island|Iriomote]] and [[Tsushima Island|Tsushima]].<ref name="imaizumi67"/><ref name="NES13">Ministry of the Environment, Tsushima Wildlife Conservation Center (2005). [http://kyushu.env.go.jp/twcc/multilang/english/pamph.htm ''National Endangered Species Tsushima Leopard Cat - English Version''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130105232037/http://kyushu.env.go.jp/twcc/multilang/english/pamph.htm |date=2013-01-05 }}.</ref> Fossils [[Excavation (archaeology)|excavated]] dating to the [[Pleistocene]] period suggest a broader distribution in the past.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ohdachi |first1=S. |last2=Ishibashi |first2=Y. |last3=Iwasa |first3=A.M. |last4=Fukui |first4=D. |last5=Saitohet |first5=T. |display-authors=etal |year=2015 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280721253 |title=The Wild Mammals of Japan |publisher=Shoukadoh |isbn=978-4-87974-691-7 |access-date=2016-05-19 |archive-date=2018-09-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916202137/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280721253 |url-status=live}}</ref>