Prairie cat

A prairie cat (Maichun: Tire Mare) is a type of semi-bipedal omnivorous feline endemic to Kalam. The term may refer to 5 different currently living species. They are thought to share a common ancestor with Kalami jaguars.

Description

The prairie cat is the smallest feline of Kalam and perhaps the Attu archipelago as a whole; their sizes range between 28 to 36 centimeters in length and a 15 to 18 centimeters in height for females, whilst males reach between 33 and 40 centimeters in length with a height between 17 and 21.

Their fur is comparable to jaguar's or tiger's, being differing shades of orangish beige. The lower part of their sides, bellies and chest are spotted while their dorsal area and head is striped. The underside of their fur is white or light beige while the upper parts of their pelt is a rusted shade of orange.

Prairie cats have shorter frontal legs compared to their strong thighs. They alternate between bipedal and quadrupedal locomotion for different tasks, standing up on two legs when they need to use their front paws' hyper developed claws for picking at tree bark, digging dens and other necessities.

Their tails are remarkably heavy and dexterous even for a feline. They have broad bases and ends to control their balance.

Diet

Prairie cats are mainly carnivorous, but also consume insects and berries for nutrition. Thanks to their long and dexterous front claws they can dig in trees and anthills for insects to feed on.

They have also been observed climbing up trees for beehives, but given their semi-bipedal body plan they prefer to hunt for meat down on the ground.

As their name suggests prairie cats hunt in open valleys for small rodents. They prefer nocturnal hunting but with sufficient cover are able to hunt diurnally.