Common Name: Iriomote Cat

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrata)

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Felidae

Genus: Prionailurus

Species: Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis

Misc: The Iriomote cat is a distinctive island population of leopard cat found only on Iriomote Island in Japan. Once described as a full species (Prionailurus iriomotensis), it is now widely treated as a subspecies of the leopard cat, Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis, although its exact taxonomic status continues to be debated. Because of its extreme range restriction, unique ecology and culture significance, conservation organizations and Japanese authorities still describe and manage it as if it were a separate wild cat species.

Size and Appearance: Iriomote cats are about the size of a sturdy domestic cat, generally weighing 3–5 kg (6.5–11 lb) with a head–body length of roughly 45–55 cm (18–22 in) and a relatively short tail of 20–25 cm (8–10 in). The coat is dusky to dark brown with relatively long, coarse hair patterned by rows of dark spots that may fuse into broken bands along the flanks and back. The body is elongate with short legs and tail, the head is broad with a relatively flat forehead, and the rounded ears carry a pale central spot on the back; markings on the face and limbs are more subdued than in many mainland leopard cats, reflecting adaptation to dense subtropical forest.

Habitat: Iriomote cats primarily use lowland subtropical evergreen broad‑leaved forest, including riverine forest, coastal lowland forest and belts of mangroves along streams and estuaries. They are strongly associated with gentle slopes, forest edges, swamps and agricultural mosaics near water, and regularly move between forest, grassland, secondary growth and coastal habitats in search of prey.

Distribution: This cat occurs only on Iriomote Island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, an island of roughly 289 km² (112 mi²) in the southern Ryukyu chain. Its range is effectively the entire island, but the core of its distribution is in lowland coastal areas that have also seen the most human development and tourism infrastructure.

Reproduction and Offspring: Breeding can occur in more than one season, with peaks reported in late winter–spring and again in autumn. Females den in rock crevices, hollow trees, cavities under roots, or dense thickets, where they give birth after a gestation of about 60–70 days to litters usually of 1–3 kittens, occasionally up to 4. Kittens are dependent on the mother for several months; young reach sexual maturity at about 10–12 months of age, and wild individuals are thought to live 7–8 years, with a few surviving longer under human care.

Social System and Communication: Iriomote cats are largely solitary outside the breeding season, with adults maintaining overlapping home ranges; males generally range more widely than females. Home ranges are small by wild cat standards, typically in the order of 1.4–5.8 km² (0.5–2.2 mi²), reflecting the island’s limited size and high habitat productivity. They communicate using scent marks, vocalizations similar to domestic cat meows, growls and howls, and visual signals such as body posture and tail position, especially during courtship and territorial encounters.

Hunting and Diet: The Iriomote cat is an opportunistic predator with a very broad diet; studies have documented dozens of prey species, including rodents, bats, birds, lizards, snakes, frogs, large insects, crabs and fish. It frequently hunts along streams, wetlands, paddy fields and coastal shallows, and is capable of climbing and swimming, taking prey both on the ground and in trees or shallow water. Activity is mainly crepuscular and nocturnal, with peaks around dusk and dawn, although some individuals move in daylight in quieter parts of the island.

Principal Threats: The greatest long‑term threat to the Iriomote cat is its extremely small, isolated population—likely on the order of 100–150 individuals—and restriction to a single island, which makes it highly vulnerable to chance events, disease outbreaks and genetic problems. Habitat loss and fragmentation in coastal lowlands due to roads, resorts, agriculture and other tourism‑related development reduce and subdivide the best hunting and denning areas. Road traffic is a major direct cause of mortality; several cats are killed or injured on the island’s highways each year despite extensive road‑signing, underpasses and fencing.

Free‑ranging and pet domestic cats pose an additional concern by competing for prey, transmitting diseases such as feline leukemia virus or feline immunodeficiency virus, and potentially hybridizing with Iriomote cats if not sterilized. Invasive species, human disturbance in key habitats, and conflicts around land‑use restrictions complicate conservation, even as local and national authorities expand education, traffic‑calming measures and responsible pet‑ownership programs.

Status:

IUCN Red List: The Iriomote cat is treated as Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis, an endangered island subspecies within the leopard cat complex, with a single small and declining population.
Japan Red List & Legal Protection: It is listed as Critically Endangered on the Japanese Red List, designated a Special Natural Monument, and protected as a National Endangered Species under Japan’s wildlife laws, which provide strict protection and mandate conservation measures on Iriomote Island.

Conservation actions include habitat protection in the national park and surrounding forest, road‑kill mitigation (wildlife underpasses, fencing, signage and speed controls), disease‑prevention and sterilization programs for domestic cats, long‑term monitoring and public education campaigns that encourage residents and visitors to help safeguard this unique island wildcat.

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