Head to head
Flat-headed Cat vs Fishing Cat
Flat-headed Cat
VS Fishing Cat
The flat-headed cat and fishing cat are both wetland cats of Asia that have taken to hunting fish, but they differ in build and in how they work the water.
| Flat-headed Cat | Fishing Cat | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Prionailurus planiceps | Prionailurus viverrinus |
| Head | Long, narrow, flattened skull with small, low-set ears | Blocky head with small, rounded, low-set ears |
| Build | Slender, with sharp pointed front teeth for gripping fish | Stocky, short-legged, and powerful, at 5 to 16 kg |
| Diet | Largely fish, frogs, and crustaceans, plus some rodents | Mostly fish, plus frogs, crabs, crayfish, snakes, rodents, and birds |
| Water behaviour | Semi-aquatic and comfortable in water | Hooks fish with a paw swipe, dives, and swims, sometimes underwater |
| Feet | Claws that cannot be drawn fully back | Partial webbing between the toes |
| Native range | Wetlands of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo | Scattered wetlands of South and Southeast Asia |
| Conservation status | Endangered | Vulnerable |
Flat-headed Cat vs Fishing Cat: common questions
How do the flat-headed cat and fishing cat look different?
The flat-headed cat has a long, narrow, flattened skull and a slender build, while the fishing cat has a blocky head and a stocky, short-legged, powerful body.
Which cat is more threatened, the flat-headed cat or the fishing cat?
The flat-headed cat, which is Endangered, while the fishing cat is Vulnerable, though both depend on wetlands that are being drained and converted.
How does each cat catch fish?
The flat-headed cat grips slippery prey with sharp, pointed front teeth, while the fishing cat hooks fish out with a rapid paw swipe and will also dive to take them.