Flat-headed Cat

The flat-headed cat is a small, domestic-cat-sized felid with a short tail, low-set rounded ears and thick soft fur. The crown is reddish brown, the back dark brown and the underparts mottled white. A pale face, white muzzle, chin and chest, and paired dark stripes along each side of the head contribute to its distinctive appearance (Animal Diversity Web).

It is closely associated with water in lowland tropical landscapes, including river and stream margins, flooded forest and disturbed secondary forest; records also come from oil-palm plantations. Its range is patchy across extreme southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo. Long, nearly parallel tooth rows and enlarged front premolars help it grip slippery prey (Animal Diversity Web). It is Nationally Critically Endangered (Thailand Red Data 2025).