The beautifully marked Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmorata) is another of the secretive cats of South East Asia, that are difficult to observe and little studied. The cat's appearance is similar to the Clouded Leopard, with blotched markings, large canines and a long tail, just smaller in size. As are many of the tropical cats, Marbled Cats are forest dependent and thus threatened by the rapid deforestation taking place across Asia. Basic research on this cat's biology and ecology is needed to help inform conservation planning.

Copyright: Global Canopy Programme. Photo by: Jo Ross and Andrew Hearn. (with permission)
Key Facts about Marbled Cats
~ Very long, bushy tail ~
~ Blotched, 'marbled' coat pattern ~
~ Forest dependant ~
Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmorata) Classification
The Marbled Cat belongs to the genus Pardofelis and the full taxonomy, scientific classification or higher classification of the Marbled Cat species (Pardofelis marmorata) is as follows:
Kingdom: Animalia (animals)
Phylum: Chordata (vertebrates)
Class: Mammalia (mammals)
Order: Carnivora (carnivores)
Suborder: Feliformia (cat-like)
Family: Felidae (cats)
Subfamily: Felinae (small cats)
Genus: Pardofelis
Species: Pardofelis marmorata (Marbled Cat)
Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmorata) Subspecies
Lower classification
The global conservation status for the Marbled Cat is Near Threatened (NT) and the population is declining.
Two subspecies of the Marbled Cat have been described in the past and the current Felidae taxonomic revision concurs with this. However recent studies show that the distributions differ to the previous range descriptions and therefore have renamed one of the subspecies:
- Parodfelis marmorata marmorata - Borneo, Sumatra, Malay Peninsula south of the Isthmus of Kra and south Thailand
- geyer pelage with large distinct blotches
- Pardofelis marmorata longicaudata - Nepal to Assam, Bangladesh, south-east Asia north of the Isthmus of Kra
- light to dark ochreous brown, fewer blotch-like markings
- previously P.m. charltonii
Marbled Cat Conservation & Research
At this time there appears to be no active projects focused on this species, however the following organizations are dedicated to research and conservation in the region and other small cats:
- South East Asia Projects - Chester Zoo (UK)
- Global small cat conservation - Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation SWCCF (USA)
Please support them with their important work. No matter how small or large your donation, every bit helps!
Past Projects:
- Borneo - Borneo Wild Cat Project
Marbled Cat Facts and Information
The following websites have well researched and authoritative information on Marbled Cats:
- Marbled Cat Fact Sheet - International Soc. for Endangered Cats (ISEC)
- Marbled Cat Images and Video Clips in the Wild - ARKive
- Marbled Cat Status and Distribution Map - IUCN Red List
- Marbled Cat Detailed Information - IUCN Cat Specialist Group
- Marbled Cat Academic Reference List - IUCN Cat Specialist Group
Wild Cats of the World
by Luke Hunter 2015
(general and academic interest)
The Wild Cat Book
by Fiona and Mel Sunquist 2014
(general interest)
Small Wild Cats
by J. Sanderson and P. Watson 2011
(general interest)