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Cat
Use a domestic cat as the baseline. A short muzzle, upright ears, long whiskers and quiet walking are familiar. Body shape is a better comparison than one coat pattern since pet cats look so different from one another.
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Common genet
The slim body and quiet walk can look feline until you notice the strongly ringed tail, pointed face and spots across the back. A genet’s muzzle sticks out farther than most domestic cats’, and the tail often looks especially long in profile.
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Fossa (animal)
A fossa has a rounded head, large eyes and the athletic outline that can suggest a small cougar. The unusually long tail and heavier muzzle show up when it turns. It belongs to a Malagasy group of carnivores and spends time both in trees and on the ground.
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Ringtail
A Southwestern animal often called a ringtail cat may be a ringtail, which belongs to the raccoon family. Look for big rounded ears, a narrow muzzle and a long, boldly ringed tail. The tail often seems to take up half of what you can see.
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Cacomistle
The cacomistle can pass for a slight cat when it crosses branches in low light. Long pointed ears and a thin, strongly banded tail give it a different profile. Its native range is in Mexico and Central America, where it spends much of its time above the ground.
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Banded linsang
This little Southeast Asian climber has a narrow, catlike outline. Broad dark bands that wrap across its body are much more striking than ordinary tabby marks. A thin tail and very slim neck also make the body look unusually long.
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Spotted linsang
Small dark spots and an arched back can suggest a miniature spotted cat, especially on a branch. The linsang’s very thin frame, narrow muzzle and long banded tail help separate it. Its spots have a different scale from the bands of the other Asian linsang.
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Central African oyan
Also called an African linsang, this Central African climber can look like a small, sleek cat on a branch. Its muzzle tapers sharply and its tail carries dark rings. The spots on its body contrast with the more clearly banded tail.
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Cape genet
This southern African genet looks like a lean spotted cat when the tail is out of view. Its longer face and large dark spots stand out in profile. The ringed tail makes the resemblance easier to sort out once it comes into view.
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African palm civet
From a front view in a tree, its low face and round eyes can look like a cat looking back. A pointed snout and spotted coat lead to a long tail whose coloration is more strongly marked near the base. This civet belongs to a separate branch of the catlike carnivores.
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Asian palm civet
A perched Asian palm civet has a long tail and small head that can look catlike at dusk. Compare the long nose and dark bands on the face. The tail often looks plain, so a closer look at the face can help more than searching for bands.
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Small Indian civet
Slender legs and a patterned coat can give this ground-dwelling animal the outline of a spotted cat. Turn to a side-on view for its long pointed muzzle and strong bands on the tail. The spots on the body sit in rows rather than breaking up the dark bands.
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Banded palm civet
Large dark bands cross the pale back in a way that can recall a boldly marked tabby. The dark markings extend around a noticeably long muzzle, and the body is comparatively low and narrow. It is a civet of Southeast Asian forests.
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Binturong
Also called a bearcat, this animal has round ears and an expressive, whiskered face. Its shaggy coat and long grasping tail make the difference clear once you see the whole body. Watch how the tail curls around a branch to help it climb.
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Ring-tailed vontsira
Madagascar’s ring-tailed vontsira, also called a ring-tailed mongoose, has a russet body and a boldly banded tail. The face looks pointed and the body sits lower than a domestic cat’s. The ring pattern is the easiest first clue.
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Malagasy civet
Also called the fanaloka, it can resemble a small spotted cat on Madagascar’s forest floor. Check the narrow, doglike muzzle and rows of dark spots along the sides. Its front half looks leaner and longer than a domestic cat’s.
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Tiger quoll
This marsupial’s walk, eyes and small ears can suggest a cat at a distance. White spots reach down its tail as well as covering the body. Its pointed nose and visible spots are more useful clues than its old name, tiger cat.
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Eastern quoll
Similar in size to a small cat, an eastern quoll has a pointed face and conspicuous light spots on either a dark or tawny coat. Check the tail when you can see it. Unlike a spotted-tailed quoll, its spots stop before the tail.
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Northern quoll
A narrow face and quick movements make this small Australian marsupial look a little like a young cat. Its large pale spots, rounded ears and unspotted tail give better clues after the animal stops moving.
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Gray fox
A gray fox can quietly climb into a tree. From below its long, pointed muzzle and large ears help separate it from a cat. A dark stripe runs along the top of the tail.
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Kinkajou
Large eyes, small round ears and a short broad face can look catlike at night. A kinkajou’s long prehensile tail changes the silhouette and can curl around branches. It is related to raccoons and spends much of its time in trees.
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