Catopuma

Catopuma is a genus containing two small Asian felines, the Bay Cat (C. badia) and the Asian Golden Cat (C. temminckii).

Both are typically reddish brown in colour, with darker markings on the head. They inhabit forested environments in South East Asia, with the Bay Cat being restricted to the island of Borneo. Originally thought to be two subspecies of the same animal, recent genetic analysis has confirmed that they are, indeed, separate species.

The two species diverged from one another 4.9-5.3 million years ago, long before Borneo separated from the neighboring islands. Their closest living relative is the Marbled Cat, from which the common ancestor of the Catopuma genus diverged around 9.4 million years ago.