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African Golden Cat
Profelis aurata
Size: 11-14 kg (24 -31 lbs).
Habitat: Moist, equatorial forest.
Primary prey: Rodents and small antelope.
Conservation Status: Vulnerable.
Principal threats: Habitat destruction.
Distribution: Equatorial Africa.
Notable Features: Very little is known about this rare cat as it has never been studied in the wild. It is protected from hunting over only part of its range.
Andean Mountain Cat
Oreailurus jacobitus
Size: 4 kg (8-9 lbs).
Habitat: Rocky arid shrub zone above treeline.
Primary prey: Medium to large rodents, especially chinchillas.
Conservation Status: Vulnerable.
Principal threats: Reduction in the availability of prey.
Distribution: High in the Andes Mountains of South America.
Notable Features: Almost nothing is known of the biology of this rarely seen cat.
Asiatic Golden Cat
Profelis temmincki
Size: females and males 8.5-15 kg (19-33 lbs).
Habitat: Tropical and sub-tropical forests .
Primary prey: Rodents, amphibians, reptiles, and insects.
Conservation Status: Vulnerable.
Principal threats: Loss of habitat due to deforestation; illegal hunting.
Distribution: From northern India to southeast Asia, including Sumatra.
Notable Features: The habits of this rare cat are not well known, but it is probably nocturnal.
Black-footed Cat
Felis nigripes
Size: females 0.8-1.6 kg (1.8-3.5 lbs) males 1.6-2.1 kg (3.5-4.6 lbs).
Habitat: Arid habitats with widely-spaced shrubs and trees.
Primary prey: small mammals and birds.
Conservation Status: Endangered.
Principal threats: Victim of indiscriminate poisoning or trapping set forother species thought to harm wildlife such as jackals; habitat destruction.
Distribution: Black-footed cats are only found in the southern tip of Africa.
Notable Features: This is the smallest of the wild cat species. They live in desert habitats and appear to be capable of getting all the water they need from their prey. They are nocturnal, spending their days resting in abandoned burrows or rocky crevices.
Bobcat
Lynx rufus
Size: females 6-9 kg (13-20 lbs) males 9-13 kg (20-29 lbs).
Habitat: Bobcats are found in a wide range of habitats, including forest, coastal swamp and desert. They avoid heavily cultivated areas.
Primary prey: Rabbits, hares, and rodents. Occasionally bobcats will take deer, especially in deep snow when deer have difficulty escaping.
Conservation Status: Stable
Principal threats: Loss of habitat ; excessive hunting.
Distribution: From southern Canada to central Mexico.
Notable features: Relative to the Canadian lynx, the bobcat has shorter hindlimbs, smaller feet, and shorter ear tufts. Its smaller feet are not well adapted to travelling in deep snow, and this probably determines the northen limits of its range.
Bornean Bay Cat
Profilis badia
Size: 3-4 kg (6-9 lbs).
Habitat: Possibly found in highlands near rivers.
Primary prey: ?
Conservation Status: Indeterminate. The Borneo Bay Cat is a rare species that is suspected to be endangered or vulnerable but for which there is too little information to be certain. The species is known from a single female captured in 1992 and a few skins and skulls, mostly collected in the late 19th century.
Distribution: Island of Borneo.
Notable Features: This is the most mysterious member of the cat family. In the last 100 years, only a single live Bay Cat has been seen and this one died soon after its capture in 1992. As a result, we have no information on their habits.
Canada Lynx
Lynx canadensis
Size: 9 kg (20 lbs) males 11 kg (24 lbs).
Habitat: Boreal forest and dense woods within farmland.
Primary prey: Snowshoe hares primarily. Canadian lynx will also take small rodents, squirrels, birds, and juvenile deer and caribou.
Conservation Status: Stable (Vulnerable in some localities).
Principal threats: Excessive hunting.
Distribution: Canadian lynx are found throughout the boreal forest belt of North America, extending southwards to Colorado in the Rocky Mountains.
Notable Features: Although similar in appearance to the bobcat, Canadian lynx have relatively longer legs and larger paws. Their densely furred feet can be up to 10 cm (4 inches) across and acts as snowshoes, allowing the lynx to move more easily in deep snow.
Caracal
Caracal caracal
Size: females 11 kg (24 lbs) males 20 kg (40 lbs) .
Habitat: The caracal prefers scrubby arid habitats such as dry woodlands and savannah.
Primary prey: Caracals are the largest of the African small cats and can take prey larger than themselves, such as small antelope. Most often they feed on rodents, hares, and birds. .
Conservation Status: Stable (Vulnerable in Asia).
Principal threats: Illegal hunting; persecution by livestock ranchers.
Distribution: Caracals range over most of Africa and parts of southwest Asia, outside of desert or rainforest areas.
Notable features: The caracal has long hindlimbs and a short tail. Its black-backed ears are topped with elongate tufts that may function in communication among caracals.
Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
Size: females and males 39 kg to 65 kg (86-143 lbs)
Habitat: Relatively arid habitats, ranging from bushlands and savannah to semi-desert
Primary prey: Small to medium ungulates such as gazelles and impala, and the young of larger species such as wildebeest and zebra.
Conservation Status: Endangered
Principal threats: Loss of habitat; illegal hunting; predation by lions; low genetic variability.
Although the cheetah is a highly succesful hunter, capturing and killing over half of all prey it chases, it is a very vulnerable cat. Because it is built for speed rather than strength, the cheetah often gives up its kills to other tougher predators including hyenas, leopards, and lions. Cubs are often killed by lions and in some areas, only one of 20 cubs is likely to survive to adulthood.
Recent studies of cheetahs in the wild revealed an additional threat to the cheetah?s survival : low genetic variability and numerous sperm abnormalities due to inbreeding in some populations. Sperm abnormalities result in fewer offspring and the lack of genetic variability might make cheetah populations less resistant to a disease.
Distribution: Over the last 100 years, the cheetah's distribution has diminished greatly. Formerly found as far east as India and as far south as the southern tip of Africa, the cheetah is now confined to sub-Saharan Africa and a small population in Iran.
Chinese Mountain (Desert) Cat
Felis bieti
Size: females 6.5 kg (14.3 lbs) males 9 kg (20 lbs).
Habitat: Alpine meadows and scrub.
Primary prey: Rodents.
Conservation Status: Indeterminate. This is a rare species that is suspected to be endangered or vulnerable, but for which there is too little information to be certain.
Principal threats: Rodent poisoning programs.
Distribution: Northeastern edge of the Tibetan plateau in China.
Notable Features: Very little is known about this rare cat. Nocturnal, it rests by day in burrows.
Clouded Leopard
Neofelis nebulosa
The marbled cat and clouded leopard are similar and may be closely related species. Both have coats with large blotchy spots with dark margins. They both climb well and live in the forests of Southeast Asia. They differ most in size, with the marbled cat being much smaller and not much bigger than a house cat.
Because of its larger size and impressive teeth, the clouded leopard is hunted more often than its smaller relative. In Asian markets, the teeth and pelts are sold for decoration and the bones are sold for traditional medicines. Clouded leopard has even appeared on the menu of restaurants in Thailand and China that serve wealthy tourists.
Size: females and males 11-20 kg (24-44 lbs).
Habitat: Rainforest, dry tropical forest, and mangrove swamps.
Primary prey: Birds, primates, small mammals.
Conservation Status: Vulnerable.
Principal threats: Loss of habitat due to deforestation; illegal hunting.
Distribution: From Nepal east to China and south to southeastern Asia, including the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.
Notable Features: Little is known of the habits of this elusive forest cat. It is an excellent climber with short powerful limbs and a long tail. The Lukai people of Thailand believe that the clouded leopard is their spiritual ancestor who led them to their homeland.
Cat
Felis catus
Size: Smaller than a bread box when dry. Unable to obtain data when wet.
Habitat: Sofas and dark closets. Sometimes found on stove tops and beside heating vents.
Primary prey: Friskies cat food, of course.
Conservation status: Gradually replacing the dog as America's favorite pet (in accordance with the cat's master plan).
Principal threat: Hairballs.
Distribution: Domestic cats are found wherever there are lovingcaretakers (i.e., suckers).
Notable features: Occasionally tear madly about for no reason. Emit pleasant rumbling sounds when stroked.
Eurasian Lynx
Lynx lynx
Size: females 18 kg ( 40 lbs); males 22 kg (48 lbs).
Habitat: Forest, scrub woodland, rocky hills.
Primary prey: Deer, chamois, and hares.
Conservation Status: Stable (vulnerable in some areas).
Principal threats: Reduction in the availability of prey; deforestation.
Distribution: Northern Europe, Russia, and central Asia.
Notable Features: This is the largest of the lynxes and has one of the most extensive geographic ranges of all cat species. Unlike the Canada Lynx, the Eurasian Lynx prefers to take prey larger than hares, such as deer.
Fishing Cat
Prionailurus viverrina
Size: females 6-7 kg (13-15 lbs) males 11-12 kg (24-26 lbs).
Habitat: Wetlands such as swamps, tidal creeks, and mangrove areas.
Primary prey: An excellent swimmer, fishing cats feed on fish and other aquatic prey such as frogs and snakes.
Conservation Status: Vulnerable.
Principal threats: Loss of wetland habitats.
Distribution: Along rivers and in swamps from northern India to southeast
Asia, including Sumatra.
Notable Features: The fishing cat catches fish by scooping them out of the water with their paws as well as by diving for them. Its claws are not fully sheathed and so are visible in the retracted position.
Flat-headed Cat
Ictailurus planiceps
Size: 1.5-2.5 kg (3.3 - 5.5 lbs).
Habitat: Swampy areas and riverine forest.
Primary prey: Fish, frogs, and birds.
Conservation Status: Vulnerable.
Principal threats: Habitat destruction due to water pollution produced by logging activities and agriculture.
Distribution: Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo.
Notable Features: With partially webbed feet and pointy premolar teeth, this cat is highly adapted for catching fish. In captivity, flat-headed cats have been observed to enjoy sitting in water and will wash objects, much the way raccoons do.
Geoffroy's Cat
Oncifelis geoffroyi
Size: females 4 kg (9 lbs) ; males 5 kg (11 lbs).
Habitat: Prefers dense, scrubby vegetation and areas along rivers.
Primary prey: Rodents and hares.
Conservation Status: STABLE ?
Principal threats: Illegal hunting.
Distribution: Southern half of South America.
Notable Features: Prior to 1988, Geoffoy's cats were hunted heavily for their fur. Between 1976 and 1979, 350,000 skins were exported from Argentina alone. They are now fully protected throughout their range.
 marshjazz · Mon May 16, 2005 @ 01:00am · 0 Comments |
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