The Chinese Desert Cat
Felis bieti Milne-Edwards

The Chinese desert cat is very closely related to the wildcat (Felis silvestris) and the jungle cat (Felis chaus); it may yet prove to be a subspecies of one of these two. Poorly studied, the Chinese desert cat is only really known from museum specimens. It is also known, more appropriately, as the Chinese mountain cat, and also as the pale cat, the grass cat or the pale desert cat.
Larger than a domestic cat, this species is thickset and robust with a heavy coat. Coloured a pale yellowish grey, it is darker on the back and more orangey on the underside. The coat is peppered with black guard hairs. There are few body markings, just two or three transverse pale brownish streaks on the legs and haunches. Two indistinct brownish streaks across the cheeks are usually present. Characteristically the hind feet from the soles to the hock are dark brown. The thick, short tail has up to four dark rings toward the black tip. Short lynxlike dark tufts (up to 2 cm long) tip the yellowish-brown ears. The widely separated ears and flattish skull present a low profile. Hair covers the foot pads, as in the Sand cat (Felis margarita). This is believed to be an adaptation for walking on hot sand or winter snow. In winter the pelage is long with a buffy-white coloured underwool. It is less clearly marked and more pale than the summer coat.
Three subspecies have been described: F. b. bieti, F. b. chutuchta (the Gobi cat), and F. b. vellerosa (the Long-haired Ordos cat). There are considerable doubts about these and some authorities believe that they result from misidentification of other species.

Despite the name, the Chinese desert cat is not really a desert animal, but it is the only felid wholly indigenous to China. It is confined to steppes, mountain brush and forest up to 3,000 metres. F. b. bieti, the true form, is found in China’s Sichuan and Kansu provinces; F. b. chutuchta is said to occur in inner or south Mongolia; and F. b. vellerosa in northeast Shensi province (T. Bangjie: The Status of Felids in China. In: The Plight of the Cats: Proceedings of the IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group, meeting in Kanha National Park, India, April 1984, p.33-47).
The map shows the area where Chinese Desert Cats are found in grey.
The map is based on information in the Wild Cats Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan published by the IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group in 1996. See our Books page for more details.

Unknown.

Unknown, probably nocturnal.

Unknown.

The Chinese desert cat is found in similar habitat to the giant panda. A restricted range and extensive habitat destruction have caused the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to place it on Appendix II (Conservation and Legal Status of Wild Cats. Cat News 12, 1990, p. 26.). This classification recognises that the species listed are in danger of becoming extinct if trade is not strictly regulated.
The Chinese desert cat is also hunted for its skin.