Mainland Leopard Cat

The mainland leopard cat is a small wild cat with a tawny coat patterned by dark spots on the body and limbs. Two dark stripes run from the eyes toward the ears, finer white streaks mark the face, and elongated spots form rows along the back. Its thick, ringed tail is roughly half the head-and-body length. The spotted coat and white markings behind the ears help distinguish it from domestic cats (Wikipedia, general species account).

Usually solitary outside the breeding season, leopard cats may be active by day but most often hunt at night. Small rodents are important prey, supplemented by birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, eggs and aquatic animals. They use forest, scrub and grassland as well as farmland retaining vegetation cover, and they climb readily while also resting in dense ground cover (Animal Diversity Web species account; Wikipedia, general species account). The range includes both North and South Korea (Mammal Diversity Database v2.4).