Bay Cat

Bay Cat is another feline about which very little is understood owing to its rarity. Residing solely on the island of Borneo, it is also known as Bornean Bay Cat, Bornean Red Cat or Bornean Cat. So reclusive is this cat that it was only in the last decade that the first live specimen was successfully photographed. Bearing close genetic resemblance to the Asian Golden Cat, it is in fact smaller in size - weighing up to ten pounds and having a body length of just under three feet, including tail.

Pardofelis Badia, the Bay Cat is described to occur in two different color variants - reddish brown and bluish gray. Light colored spots exist on undersides and limbs. Face and tail is marked with white stripes, the latter ending in a white tip. Ears are rounded and dark colored, as is the head, marked often by an 'M-shaped' marking. The cat's teeth are unique and the overall appearance bears a striking resemblance with the Jaguarundi.

Very little is known about the behavior, diet and activity patterns of this reclusive feline. It is believed to feed on small animals and monkeys as well as birds and carrion. The reproductive profile of the Bay Cat is also poorly understood.

The Bay Cat is so named since nearly all its sightings have taken place in bay areas, around water bodies, mangroves and swamps - this may be due to the preference of such a habitat for its abode by the cat or simply researcher bias of the area of study. It does however reside solely in the thick rainforests of Borneo.

Even as numbers in the wild are not accurately known, the cat is classified as endangered and faces rapid habitat erosion owing to accelerated logging in parts of Borneo.

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