Research overview: leopard cat diet and rodent control in farmland

Leopard cats are efficient predators of rodents and other small prey, and in agricultural mosaics they may provide pest-suppression services that benefit farmers. This overview synthesises scat and prey-availability studies on leopard cat diet across farmland, plantation and forest-edge habitats, examining reliance on murid rodents, birds, reptiles and insects, and seasonal shifts tied to crop cycles. It connects diet to the conservation argument that retaining leopard cats yields agronomic value through rodent control, paralleling messaging used for other urban-adjacent felids. The synthesis frames diet research as both basic ecology and a foundation for coexistence incentives in working landscapes.