|
Small Wild Cats
|
  *This image is copyright of its original author A Fishing Cat, from the wilderness of coastal south India. Location : coringa Sanctuary of my state Andhra Pradesh. Pic Credits : @ismailshariff  
Informative article detailing the similarities and differences between the sympatric ocelot and margay, two small wild cats most closely related to each other, descending from a recent common ancestor.
http://www.ecology.info/ecology-ocelot-margay.htm
12th June 2019
Six different ‘colour morphs’ of the Asiatic golden cat discovered in India’s Arunachal Pradesh Six different colour morphs of the elusive Asiatic golden cat have been discovered in Northeast India – with the findings being hailed as "an evolutionary puzzle" – as the world’s greatest number of different coloured wild cat species in one area are reported. The Indian scientists from ZSL and UCL discovered the colour morphs, during a wide-scale camera trapping study covering both community forests and protected areas across Dibang Valley, Northeast India. The study, published on 7 June 2019 in the Ecological Society of America’s journal, Ecology aimed to uncover a greater understanding of human-wildlife interactions in the region but discovered a group of entirely different-looking animals on their camera traps – with an inkling they were all the exact same species.  *This image is copyright of its original author © ZSLThe colour morphs. Top row: Tightly rosetted, Gray, Golden. Bottom row; Ocelot, Cinnamon, Melanistic. The finding is said to spark more questions than it answers. However, understanding how this remarkable phenomenon takes hold in a population, may help scientists grasp how quickly species can adapt and evolve to changing environments. This would advise scientists of the resilience of the species to climate change or habitat degradation and destruction. Colour morphs are not classed as different subspecies as they may live in the same area and even interbreed. However, if differences in their behaviour prevented them from interbreeding – this could represent the beginning of the evolutionary process into separate subspecies. A more well-known example of a colour morph is the melanistic (dark coloured) morph (aka black panther) of the common leopard (Panthera pardus).  *This image is copyright of its original author © ZSLThe different colour morphs of the Asiatic golden cat and their elevation preferences. Within the six colour morphs recorded, an entirely new colour morph was also found in one of the community-owned forests. The now named “tightly-rosetted” morph after the leopard-like rosettes tightly spaced on their gray coat, now sits alongside the already known: cinnamon, melanistic, gray, golden, and ocelot (due to its ocelot-like markings) types. ZSL scientists believe that the wide variation displayed in the cat’s coats provides them with several ecological benefits. It enables them to occupy different habitats at different elevations – from wet tropical lowland forests to alpine scrubs – and provides camouflage while hunting different prey such as tropical pheasants or Himalayan pika (a small mountain-dwelling rabbit-like mammal).  *This image is copyright of its original author © ZSLGolden morph of the Asiatic golden cat Colour morphs are thought to arise from random genetic mutations and take hold in the population through natural selection. In this region, scientists suspect that the phenomenon is driven by competition with other big cats such as tigers (Panthera tigris) and clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa). Being melanistic in the misty mountains during nocturnal hunts, for example, may mean they are better concealed from their prey; making them more efficient predators. Dr Sahil Nijhawan, the India-based lead author and British Academy Fellow at ZSL’s Institute of Zoology and UCL said: “According to evolutionary theory, if a colour morph is not beneficial for a species survival – over time, it should die out in the population. The fact that we have so many different colour morphs persisting in Dibang Valley shows there must be some ecological advantages to the variety of colours. “We now know Dibang Valley hosts the world’s most diverse range of colour morphs of a wild cat species ever reported in one site, but we are only just starting to understand this rare ecological phenomenon. We need more studies that shed light on such unique adaptations and the benefits they provide to species, especially in a world where they must adapt quickly.” https://www.zsl.org/science/news/the-ben...-different
Comparison of Lynx and Bobcat
 *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
'Cat-fox' found on French island of Corsica may be a new species
 *This image is copyright of its original author AFP [email protected] @thelocalfrance 19 June 2019 08:13 CEST+02:00 wildlifeglance Share this article 'Cat-fox' found on French island of Corsica may be a new species The 'cat-fox' of Corsica. Photos Pascal Pochard-Casabianca for AFP In the forest undergrowth of northern Corsica, two wildlife rangers open a cage to reveal a striped, tawny-coated animal, one of 16 felines known as "cat-foxes" in the area and thought to be a new species. "We believe that it's a wild natural species which was known but not scientifically identified because it's an extremely inconspicuous animal with nocturnal habits," says Pierre Benedetti, chief environmental technician of the National Hunting and Wildlife Office (ONCFS). "It's a wonderful discovery," he tells AFP, holding the feline - called "Ghjattu volpe" in Corsican - found in Asco forest on the French Mediterranean island. While resembling a domestic cat in some ways, the ring-tailed feline measures 90 centimetres from head to tail, has "very wide" ears, short whiskers and "highly developed" canine teeth.  *This image is copyright of its original author Other distinguishing features include the stripes on the front legs, "very dark" hind legs and a russet stomach. The dense, silky coat is a natural repellent for fleas, ticks and lice. The tail usually has two to four rings and a black tip. "It's their size and their tail that earned them the name 'cat-fox' across the island," says Benedetti. The animals are found in a remote habitat where there is "water and plant cover offering protection against its main predator, the golden eagle," says Carlu-Antone Cecchini, ONCFS field agent in charge of forest cats. Using nonviolent methods, the ONCFS has since 2016 captured 12 of 16 felines seen in the area, releasing them again after a quick examination.  *This image is copyright of its original author Now, they say, they hope to have "this cat recognised and protected" within two to four years. "The cat-fox is part of our shepherd mythology. From generation to generation, they told stories of how the forest cats would attack the udders of their ewes and goats," says Cecchini. After years of playing cat and mouse, one of the animals "was caught unexpectedly in 2008 in a chicken coop at Olcani in Cap Corse," says Benedetti, who has been researching the species for more than 10 years. Research got under way and, in 2012, with the help of a method involving essence attractive to cats and a wooden stick which they rub against leaving traces of their fur, they were able to determine its genetic make-up. "By looking at its DNA, we could tell it apart from the European wildcat, Felis silvestris silvestris. It's close to the African forest cat, Felis silvestris lybica, but its exact identity is still to be determined," Benedetti adds. With advanced photographic and later physical traps, the researchers captured their first "cat-fox" in 2016.  *This image is copyright of its original author There are still many mysteries surrounding the cat. Its diet and reproductive patterns are yet to be studied but Benedetti has a theory that the cat could have been brought to Corsica by farmers 6,500 years BC. "If the hypothesis is true, its origins are Middle Eastern," he says. The identification chip in the neck of the animal being shown to AFP helps reveal that it is a male of between four and six years old, already caught a few times before and has a damaged eye caused by a fight with another male. After examination, the cat with one green eye and one brown eye is free to go, leaving behind its GPS collar with 80 days' https://metro.co.uk/2019/06/19/corsica-cat-fox-officially-recognised-as-new-species-10011197/?fbclid=IwAR3E0V_tZ2fE2lWWS9ihrPR1jtwbzoyeGpVTZR_l2B9844Ao3VxU1tmrhdM
Cool video of a margay with kittens. Dont think there is a cat out there better adapted to life in the trees.
Ocelote hunt gone wrong
This young Ocelote picked the wrong prey this time which will eventually end in dead because the barbs On the quills from the porcupine will enter its skull and eventually kill it in a very painful death. (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
A Leonardo da Vinci quotation: "The smallest feline is a masterpiece !". Caracal, the Africa lynx.
"One of the most incredible sightings I have ever had. I watched a caracal stalk an African wild cat up a tree. The caracal rocketed up the tree, forcing the helpless cat to the smallest end branches. As the caracal pressed home its advantage, the smaller cat saw no other option than to leap from an incredible height in sheer desperation to try and escape!" -
|
| Users browsing this thread: |
| 11 Guest(s) |