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Small Wild Cats
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Habitat use and sensitivity to fragmentation in America’s smallest wildcat Schüttler et al., 2017
Abstract: "Fragmentation and human-wildlife conflicts represent severe threats to wildcats such as the kodkod cat (Leopardus guigna), endemic to the heavily impacted Chilean temperate rainforest. Here we assess to which extent this vulnerable forest specialist is able to use altered habitat (agricultural matrix, forest edge, human presence) by studying its home ranges, habitat use, and patch selection in privately owned rainforest remnants. We radio-tracked five individuals over 33–376 days. Mean 95% kernel home ranges were 623 ha, with a mean 50% core area of 191 ha. Ecological-niche and Mahalanobis distance factor analysis confirmed forest-dependency and revealed that the individuals made intensive use of forest edges, close to water. They did not avoid houses. Generalized linear mixed models showed that the monitored kodkods selected elongated woodland patches. We conclude that the kodkods compensated the non-forest space by maintaining larger home ranges and making efficient use of forest edges probably due to higher prey availability. Future studies should identify ecological traps, and describe connectivity and source-sink dynamics in the agricultural matrix to develop long-term conservation efforts for the smallest cat of the Americas." 
WILDCAT BACK IN THE NETHERLANDS
The European wildcat is back in the Netherlands. Just after the turn of the century, sightings were reported every now and then. Today, according to the article, they breed in the extreme south of the Netherlands. The video shows a female and 5 kittens. The article is in Dutch: https://nos.nl/artikel/2210848-wilde-katten-maken-comeback-in-nederland.html 
The jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi)
Credits to @natgeo @fernandotrujilloomacha and @order_carnivora  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
  *This image is copyright of its original author Ocho Verde WildlifeWe had three Jaguarundi pass by our camera trap in Costa Rica recently. To find out more, go to ovcamtraps.blogspot.com or subscribe to our channel. This camera was sponsored by a crew member from "The Walking Dead" on AMC (01-11-2018, 11:22 AM)Spalea Wrote: @Spalea very good video they are very difficult to see in the wild
Photo and information credits: Cindy Goeddel Photography
"It’s surprising, it’s survival, it’s winter bobcats in Yellowstone - follow award-winning photographer Cindy Goeddel in Montana Quarterly: http://www.themontanaquarterly.com"  *This image is copyright of its original author
Margay (Leopardus wiedii) from Costa Rica.
Photo and information credits: Supreet Sahoo "The tree hugger – Margay, an arboreal true cat that spends almost all its time on tree tops comes down to grace us lesser mortals with a lucky sighting occasionally. One such morning was with us, around the Arenal volcano region. Much like its larger cousins it exudes elegance and curiosity alike. To the onlookers its just a sight to behold and for photographers – its jackpot."  *This image is copyright of its original author
  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author Encounter and fight between an adult male lynx and an adult male wolf. The fight took place at an important marking point and grooming place of the male lynx on an abandoned forest road. The lynx won and plausibly the wolf died afterwards from his wounds. During vast amounts of time in the wild and a lot of field studies on wolves and lynxes in Belarus only lynxes killed by lynxes (males killed by other males and kits killed by males) were found. We never found any lynx (kits or adult) killed by wolves. In contrast, we found several wolf pups of various age and pregnant wolves killed by lynx: 8 wolf pups of 2-11 months old and 2 heavily pregnant female wolves that were killed by lynxes (1997-2015, Naliboki Forest and Paazierre Forest); one more pregnant female wolf was killed by either lynx or wolf (more likely to say that lynx, Naliboki Forest, May 2017); at least, two wolf litters up two one month old were killed by lynxes (Naliboki Forest, April-May, 2016 and 2017), two more litters – very plausible; one wolf litter of 2-3 months old and their small mother were very plausibly killed by lynx (Naliboki Forest, June-July 2016); adult male wolf plausibly died being wounded after a fight with a male lynx (Naliboki Forest, April 2017). https://sidorovich.blog/2017/09/06/wolves-and-lynxes/
A bit more information
By reading the available literature and talking to wolf and lynx researchers, it becomes evident that interference between the two species is actually poorly studied. Some mammalogists tend to assume that wolves suppress the lynx population. Some even suggest details of aggressive behaviour of wolves towards lynxes: strong wolf-packs attack lynx family groups and kill kits during lynx mating season, when the kits stay alone or disperse. Seemingly, such stories are only speculative believes and ideas. We collected evidence that the opposite is actually true, at least in the dense forests of Belarus. Moreover, we got convinced that an adult lynx – especially a big male – can win a fight from any lone wolf. We photo-documented a fight between a (not very big and quite old, i.e. older than eight years) male lynx and a (not small) adult male wolf. The lynx threw the wolf on its back, attacking it’s voulnerable belly. The lynx won the fight, and we have good reasons to assume the wolf died from its injuries. Before the fight, we frequently photographed this easily recognisable wolf , a few hours after the fight, the visibly gravely wounded wolf was photographed one more last time. So, it’s clear that lynxes have plenty of opportunities to kill wolves. In forests, lynxes are also less voulnerable to attacks of wolf packs because they can climb in trees and so escape from danger. https://lynxinbelarus.com/2017/08/21/lyn...erference/
@AlexE :
About #4 and #5: Very interesting your posts and the link you gave. I didn't think that an adult lynx could prevail on an adult male wolf which is, in my mind, noticeably bigger than the felid. An other video found : perhaps the wolf is quiet beause in a clear landscape like this one, being able to run away at full speed and having endurance/stamina. Thus the canid provokes a little bit. But it's clear that it avoids direct confrontation. by The WWFEU European Policy Office
Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis)
Credit to Rafael Hoogesteijn  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
 *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
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