The Andes mountain cat ( Leopardus jacobita ) is a small, wild cat from the high Andes that has been classified as Endangered by the IUCN because less than 2,500 individuals are thought to exist in the wild.
It was first described by Emilio Cornalia who named it to honor Jacobita Mantegazza. This is one of two species of cat with no subspecies described.
Video Andean mountain cat
Characteristics
The Andes mountain cat has gray feathers, head, ears and a gray face. The area around the lips and cheeks is white; two dark brown lines flowing from the corners of the eye over the cheeks. There are several black dots on the front legs, yellowish brown spots on the sides, and up to two narrow dark circles on the hind legs. The long bushy tail has 6-9 rings, which are dark brown to black. The teenage signs are darker and smaller than adults. The skull of an adult specimen ranges from 100.4 to 114.8 mm (3.95-4.52 inches) and is larger than domestic pampas and cat cats.
The Andes mountain cat has a black nose and lips, and round ears. At the back and tail, the hair length is 40-45 mm (1.6 to 1.8 inches). Its round traces have a length of 4 cm (1.6 inches) and a width of 3.5 cm (1.4 inches). The pads are covered with hair.
Adult specimens range from 57.7 to 85 cm (22.7 to 33.5 inches) in head-to-body lengths, with long tails ranging from 41.3 to 48.5 cm (16.3 to 19.1 inches). The shoulder height is about 36 cm (14 inches) and weighs up to 5.5 pounds (12 pounds).
The morphological differences between Andean cats and pampas
Andean cat cats and pampas cats look similar. This makes it difficult to identify which cats are being observed and make the correct population estimate problematic. This can be very difficult when trying to get the correct information from the observations of individuals who have seen one of these cats but are not aware to look for special features to distinguish between the two.
Maps Andean mountain cat
Distribution and habitat
Andean mountain cats only occur in the highlands of the Andes. Notes in Argentina show that they live at an altitude of 1,800 feet (5,900 ft) in the southern Andes to more than 4,000 m (13,000 ft) in Chile, Bolivia and central Peru. This area is dry, rarely vegetated, rocky and steep. The population at the Salar de Surire Nature Monument is estimated in five individuals in an area of ​​250 km 2 (97Ã, sqÃ, mi). The survey results in Jujuy Province of northwestern Argentina show density of seven to 12 individuals per 100 km 2 (39Ã, sqÃ, mi) at an altitude of about 4,200 m (13,800 ft).
Andes mountain cat occurs localized. Their habitat in the Andes is fragmented by deep valleys, and their prey of choice, mountain viscacha ( Lagidium ) takes place in patchwork colonies. In this range, the level of genetic diversity is very low.
While the main prey of Andes mountain cats is probably the viscacha of the mountain, it is also likely that the chinchilla mountains previously preyed important Cat mountain Andes before their population drastically reduced due to trade of feather trade. Because it only lives in high mountains, the human-inhabited valley acts as a barrier, dividing the population, meaning that even low levels of hunting can be devastating. They are often killed in Chile and Bolivia due to local superstition.
Ecology and behavior
Competition with other predators
Six different carnivorous species live in the Andes. Three of these species are cat, Andean cat, pampas cat, and puma. Puma is a great predator, while the Andes and Pampas Cat are moderate-sized predators. These two medium-sized predators are very similar. They both hunt in the same area. They hunt for the same prey, viscacha mountain ( Lagidium viscacia ). Viscacha makes 93.9% of the biomass consumed in the diet of the Andean cat while the Pampas Cat relies on it for 74.8% of biomass consumption. Both these cats rely on special prey to get a large portion of their dietary needs. In some areas, the mountain viscacha will make up 53% of Andean cat prey. This is because other prey items are significantly smaller so even though the Andean cat will succeed in hunting, killing, and feeding the mountain viscacha half the time, the mountain viscacha is much larger than other foods, it makes more substance.. They also often hunt during the same period. During one study, the Andean cat and Pampas Cat were most commonly seen on a moonless night; the second sighting of these cats is during the full months. Both of these cats hunt the same prey, making it harder for them to find food, essentially creating a race to find prey before others do it.
Reproduction
Using the observations of Andean cat residents in pairs with their children, theorized that the breeding season for Andes cats is in July and August. Since kittens have been seen in April and October, this could mean that the breeding season extends to November or even December. Litter will usually consist of one or two breeds born in spring and summer. This is common in many other species that also have children when food sources increase.
Threat
In 2002 the status of the Andean cat was moved from Vulnerable to Endangered to the IUCN Red List. Since the Andean cat habitat is spread over four countries, biologists have sought to collaborate in efforts to protect species. One of the groups that formed was the Andean Cat Conservation Committee, now known as the Andean Cat Alliance. The table below is taken directly from the current strategy plan for 2011-2016.
Preservation
The Andean cat habitat includes four different South American countries. Each country has enacted individual laws to protect this wild cat. Each country also has its own protected game area where hunting is forbidden. The table below describes the number of protected areas included in the habitat of the Andean cat. Biologists are trying to determine if any of these protected areas have significant Andean cat populations.
Research
Before 1998, the only evidence of the existence of this cat were two photographs. That's when Jim Sanderson started his quest to find the Andes mountain cat. Sanderson was seen and took one photo in Chile in 1998 near the northern border of Chile with Peru. In 2004, he joined the Bolivian research team and assisted the dog collars of the Andean cat in Bolivia. In April 2005, the cat was found dead, possibly after being caught in a hunter's trap.
Sanderson is still involved with the Andean cat. Together with Constanza Napolitano, Lilian Villalba and Eliseo Delgado and others at the Andean Cat Alliance, the Little Cat Conservation Alliance has entered into a conservation agreement with FundaciÃÆ'³n Biodiversity, a non-profit Chilean organization, and CONAF, the government agency responsible for managing national parks and production forests. CONAF has agreed to allow SCCA to renovate a building for the Center for Conservation and Monitoring of the Andean Cat in their already functioning complex in San Pedro de Atacama in Chile.
Villalba of the Andean Cat Alliance undertook a major research program, including radio telemetry studies, from 2001 to 2006 in the Khastor region of southern Bolivia.
Conservation efforts are also being undertaken by the Feline Conservation Federation to preserve this species.
References
External links
- (in English) Andean Cat Alliance or Alianza Gato Andino (AGA). Available in Spanish and English.
- Cat portrait of Andean species; IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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