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Prionailurus planiceps 121002450.jpg · Resized and converted to WebP for display. Thibaud Aronson · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field guide · species

Flat-headed Cat

Prionailurus planiceps

The flat-headed cat is a small Southeast Asian felid associated with freshwater environments. Its unusual head shape and wetland feeding ecology set it apart from many other small cats.

Public research profile · final editorial review pending.

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Tree of lifeScientific lineage

Advanced classification

Complete source lineage, including intermediate ranks. The standard view uses Life and the eight principal ranks.

cellular organisms cellular root
Eukaryota domain
Opisthokonta clade
Metazoa kingdom
Eumetazoa clade
Bilateria clade
Deuterostomia clade
Chordata phylum
Craniata subphylum
Vertebrata clade
Gnathostomata clade
Teleostomi clade
Euteleostomi clade
Sarcopterygii superclass
Dipnotetrapodomorpha clade
Tetrapoda clade
Amniota clade
Mammalia class
Theria clade
Eutheria clade
Boreoeutheria clade
Laurasiatheria superorder
Carnivora order
Feliformia suborder
Felidae family
Felinae subfamily
Prionailurus genus
Prionailurus planiceps species

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Physical traits

A relatively flattened head, small rounded ears and short tail are distinctive.

Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

Habitat and range

Lowland forest near streams, rivers and other freshwater habitats provides important feeding opportunities.

Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

Diet and nutrition

Fish and other aquatic or waterside animals are reported foods. The available evidence is more limited than for many better-studied cats.

Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

Behavior and activity

Many behavioral descriptions rely on scattered records or managed animals. The species’ association with water is better established than a detailed universal daily schedule.

Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗