Editing Rusty-spotted cat (section)

== Ecology and behaviour ==
[[File:Rusty spotted cat 2, crop.jpg|thumb|Rusty-spotted cat in its natural habitat]]
[[File:Rustyspottedcat, crop.jpg|thumb|Rusty-spotted cat photographed in the [[Anaimalai Hills]]]]
Very little is known about the ecology and behaviour of the rusty-spotted cat in the wild. Captive ones are mostly [[nocturnal animal|nocturnal]] but also briefly active during the day.<ref name=WCoW/> Most wild ones were also recorded after dark. At Horton Plain National Park in Sri Lanka, they were mostly recorded between sunset and sunrise, with limited daytime activity.<ref name="Nimalrathna et al. 2019" /> Several individuals were observed hiding in trees and in caves.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Patel |first1=K. |year=2011 |title=Preliminary survey of small cats in Eastern Gujarat, India |journal=Cat News |issue=54 |pages=8–11}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Anwar |first1=M. |last2=Hasan |first2=D. |last3=Vattakavan |first3=J. |name-list-style=amp |year=2012 |title=Rusty-spotted cat in Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh State, India |journal=Cat News |issue=56 |pages=12–13}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Vasava |first1=A. |last2=Bipin |first2=C. M. |last3=Solanki |first3=R. |last4=Singh |first4=A. |name-list-style=amp |year=2012 |title=Record of rusty-spotted cat from Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh, India |journal=Cat News |issue=57 |pages=22–23}}</ref>

It feeds mainly on [[rodent]]s and [[bird]]s, but also preys on [[lizard]]s, [[frog]]s, and [[insect]]s. It hunts primarily on the ground, making rapid, darting movements to catch its prey. It apparently ventures into trees to escape larger predators. Captive females and males both [[Territory (animal)#Scent marking|scent-mark]] their home range by [[spraying urine]].<ref name=WCoW/>

=== Reproduction ===
[[File:Prionailurus rubiginosus 9-Parc des félins.JPG|thumb|A rusty-spotted cat kitten at the [[Parc des Félins]], France]]
The female's [[oestrus]] lasts five days, and mating is unusually brief. Since the female is likely to be vulnerable during this period, its brevity may be an adaptation to help it avoid larger predators. She prepares a den in a secluded location, and after a [[gestation]] of 65–70 days gives birth to one or two kittens. At birth, the kittens weigh just {{cvt|60|to|77|g|oz}}, and are marked with rows of black spots. They reach sexual maturity at around 68 weeks, by which time they have developed the distinctive adult coat pattern of rusty blotches. Rusty-spotted cats have lived for twelve years in captivity, but their lifespan in the wild is unknown.<ref name=WCoW/>