අන්දියානු කඳුකර බළලා

The Andean mountain cat (Leopardus jacobita) is a small wild cat native to the high that has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List because fewer than 2,500 individuals are thought to exist in the wild. It is traditionally considered a sacred animal by indigenous and .

Andean mountain cat
සංරක්ෂණ තත්ත්වය
අන්තරායට ලක් වූ  (IUCN 3.1)
විද්‍යාත්මක වර්ගීකරණය
රාජධානිය:	Animalia
වංශය:	Chordata
වර්ගය:	Mammalia
ගෝත්‍රය:
කුලය:
ගණය:	(, 1865)
විශේෂය:	L. jacobita
Leopardus jacobita (, 1865)
Distribution of the Andean cat, 2016
Oreailurus jacobita

It was first described by who named it in honour of Jacobita Mantegazza.

Characteristics

The Andean mountain cat has ashy-gray fur, a gray head, ears and face. The areas around the lips and cheeks are white; two dark brown lines run from the corners of the eyes across the cheeks. There are some black spots on the forelegs, yellowish-brown blotches on the flanks, and up to two narrow, dark rings on the hind limbs. The long bushy tail has 6–9 rings, which are dark brown to black. The markings of juveniles are darker and smaller than those of adults. The skulls of adult specimens range in length from 100.4 to 114.8 mm (3.95 to 4.52 in) and are larger than those of the and domestic cat.

The Andean mountain cat has a black nose and lips, and rounded ears. On the back and on the tail, the hair is 40–45 mm (1.6–1.8 in) long. Its rounded footprints are 4 cm (1.6 in) long and 3.5 cm (1.4 in) wide. Its pads are covered with hair.

Adult specimens range from 57.7 to 85 cm (22.7 to 33.5 in) in head-to-body length, with a 41.3 to 48.5 cm (16.3 to 19.1 in) long tail. The shoulder height is about 36 cm (14 in) and body weight is up to 5.5 කිලෝග්‍රෑම් (12 lb).

The Andean mountain cat and look similar. This makes it difficult to identify which cat is observed and makes correct estimations of populations problematic. This can be especially difficult when attempting to gain correct information from the observations of individuals that have seen one of these cats but are not aware to look for specific features to distinguish between the two.

Differences between Andean and pampas cats

Andean cat	Trait	Pampas Cat
​^2⁄3 of the total body length. Thick and blunt with 6–9 wide rings.	Tail	​^1⁄2 of the total body length. Thin and tapered with 9 thin rings.
Maximum width of rings: 60mm	Tail rings	Maximum width of rings: 20mm
Distinctive lines on sides of eyes. Rounded tips of ears.	Facial features	If lines are present, they are brown and less dramatic. Triangular-tipped ears are present for most of this species.
Very dark or black	Nose	Light colored, generally pink
Yellow– and rust-colored or gray and black	Overall color	Cream, red, rust, and black in color
One consistent coat pattern	Coat pattern	Three different coat patterns with different variations
Uniform coloration of the base color	Ear color	Patterned colored ears
Rings are not complete; stripes are spot-like in appearance	Front paws	Two or more well-defined, complete, black rings

Distribution and habitat

Andean mountain cat

The Andean mountain cat lives only at high elevations in the . Records in Argentina indicate that it lives at elevations from 1,800 m (5,900 ft) in the southern Andes to over 4,000 m (13,000 ft) in Chile, and central Peru. This terrain is arid, sparsely vegetated, rocky and steep. The population in the was estimated at five individuals in an area of 250 km² (97 sq mi). Results of a survey in the of northwestern Argentina indicates a density of seven to 12 individuals per 100 km² (39 sq mi) at an elevation of about 4,200 m (13,800 ft).

Its habitat in the Andes is fragmented by deep valleys, and its preferred prey, (Lagidium) occur in patchy colonies. Across this range, the level of is very low.

It is also probable that mountain were previously important prey of the Andean mountain cat before their populations were drastically reduced due to hunting for the fur trade.

Ecology and behaviour

Six different species of carnivores live in the Andes Mountain range. Apart from the Andean cat, there are two other cat species: the and the . The puma is a large predator, while the Andean and Pampas Cat are medium-sized predators. These two medium-sized predators are very much alike. They both hunt within the same territory. They hunt the same prey, the (Lagidium viscacia), a rodent. The viscacha makes up 93.9% of the biomass consumed in the Andean cat's diet while the Pampas Cat depends on it for 74.8% of its biomass consumption. Both of these cats depend on a specific prey to make up a large portion of their dietary needs. In some areas, the mountain viscacha will make up 53% of the Andean cat's prey items. This is because the other prey items are so significantly smaller that even though the Andean cat will successfully hunt, kill, and eat a mountain viscacha half the time, the mountain viscacha is so much larger than the other food items, it makes up more substance. They also hunt frequently during the same periods. During one study, both the Andean cat and the Pampas Cat were seen most frequently during moonless nights; the second most sightings of these cats were during full moons.

By using the residents' observations of Andean cats in coupled pairs with their litters, it is theorized that the mating season for the Andean cat is within the months of July and August. Because kittens have been seen in the months of April and October, this could mean that the mating season extends into November or even December. A litter will usually consist of one or two offspring born in the spring and summer months. This is common with many other species that also have their young when food resources are increasing.

Threats

The following table lists the threat to the Andean cat and proposed interventions to mitigate them:

Priority	Direct threat	Indirect threat
1	Habitat loss	Various forms of land use including mining, and water extraction, potentially increased by climate change.	Creation of protected areas and consolidation or improvement of existing ones; obeying with government and the industry sector; implementation of existing legislation; involvement of local communities on conservation and land use decisions; research on desertification processes affecting the Andean cat.
2	Habitat degradation	Inappropriate pastoralist and agricultural practices; unregulated tourism; mining, oil/gas extraction; unregulated use of water.	Working with communities to improve livestock management; lobbying with governments, industries and local communities to regulate tourist activities; implementation of existing legislation; implementation of water management plans when existing; research on the impacts of habitat degradation on Andean Cat population.
3	Hunting not for human use	Conflicting with small livestock breeding; lack of knowledge of the species by local community member; presence of dogs, incidental capture	Conflict mitigation, community education, implementation of existing legislation; research on the most effective methods to mitigate conflicts and improvement of perception of the species by local people.
4	Traditional hunting	Religious use of skins or taxidermy, hunting due to traditional beliefs	Education; rekindling of traditional knowledge. Skins decorated and used in festivals, religious ceremonies, and folk magic.
5	Reduction of prey populations	Hunting, presence of domestic dogs	Community education; implementation of existing legislation; research on predator-prey dynamics
6	Introduction of diseases	Dogs and cats as reservoirs and/or vectors	Research to determine the true extent of this threat
7	Hybridization	Sympatric with phylogenetically related species (L. colocolo)	Research to determine the true extent of this threat.

Conservation

The Andean cat is listed on . It is protected in all the countries of its range.

The was formed in 2003 by representatives from Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and Chile with the aim of fostering research and conservation of the Andean cat.

Legislation and policies protecting the Andean cat

Country	Law or policy	Protection offered	Year enacted	Number of protected areas	Sightings within protected areas	Unevaluated areas
Argentina	National Law 22421 of Wildlife Conservation	Prohibits hunting and/or trade of the Andean cat	Unknown	9 protected areas	Evidence found in 7 areas	1 unevaluated, 1 partial
	Statutory Decree 666/97
	Resolution No. 63/86 of the Secretary of Agriculture
Bolivia	Decree No. 22421	General and undefined ban on hunting, capture, storage, and/or conditioning of wild animals and their by-products	1990	8 protected areas	Evidence found in 6 areas	2 areas unevaluated
Chile	Law No. 19473	Ban on hunting all felids, with penalties of up to $6,000 fine and/or imprisonment up to 3 years	1972	7 protected areas	Evidence found in 7 areas	All areas evaluated
Peru	Supreme Decree No. 013-99-AG	Ban on hunting, trading, and possession of living, dead, or body parts of the Andean cat	1999	12 protected areas	Evidence found in 4 areas	8 areas unevaluated

References

1. Wozencraft, W. Christopher (16 නොවැම්බර් 2005). "Species Leopardus jacobitus". In Wilson, Don E., and Reeder, DeeAnn M., eds (ed.). [http://google.com/books?id=JgAMbNSt8ikC&pg=PA532 Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference] (3rd ed.). Baltimore: , 2 vols. (2142 pp.). ISBN .  62265494. {{}}: |editor= has generic name (); External link in |title= (); Invalid |ref=harv ()CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list ()
2. Villalba, L.; Lucherini, M.; Walker, S.; Lagos, N.; Cossios, D.; Bennett, M. & Huaranca, J. (2016). "Leopardus jacobita". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T15452A50657407. සම්ප්‍රවේශය 29 ඔක්තෝබර් 2018.
3. Macdonald, D.W.; Loveridge, A.J. & Nowell, K. (2010). "Dramatis personae: an introduction to the wild felids. Andean cat Leopardus jacobita (Cornalia, 1865)". In Macdonald, D.W. & Loveridge, A.J. (eds.). The Biology and Conservation of Wild Felids. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 35. ISBN .
4. Yensen, E.; Seymour, K. L. (2000). (PDF). Mammalian Species. 644 (644): 1–6. doi:10.1644/1545-1410(2000)644<0001:OJ>2.0.CO;2. 3 මාර්තු 2016 දින මුල් පිටපත (PDF) වෙතින් සංරක්ෂණය කරන ලදී. සම්ප්‍රවේශය 3 අප්‍රේල් 2015.
5. Garcia-Perea, R. (2002). "Andean Mountain Cat, Oreailurus jacobita: Morphological Description and Comparison With Other Felines From The Altiplano". Journal of Mammalogy. 83 (1): 110–124. doi:10.1644/1545-1542(2002)083<0110:amcojm>2.0.co;2.
6. Palacios, R. (2007). Manual para identificación de carnívoros andinos. Alianza Gato Andino, Córdoba, Argentina. 40 pp.
7. Nowell, K. & Jackson, P. (1996). "Andean mountain cat, Oreailurus jacobitus (Cornalia, 1865)" (PDF). Wild Cats: status survey and conservation action plan. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group. pp. 116–118.
8. Sorli, L. E.; Martinez, F. D.; Lardelli, U. & Brandi, S. (2006). "Andean cat in Mendoza, Argentina – Further south and at lowest elevation ever recorded". Cat News (44): 24.
9. Napolitano, C.; Bennett, M.; Johnson, W. E.; O'Brien, S. J.; Marquet, P. A.; Barría, I.; Poulin, E. & Iriarte, A. (2008). "Ecological and biogeographical inferences on two sympatric and enigmatic Andean cat species using genetic identification of faecal samples". Molecular Ecology. 17 (2): 678–690. doi:10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03606.x. PMID 18205675.  8517958.
10. Villalba, M. L.; Bernal, N.; Nowell, K. & MacDonald, D. W. (2008). "Distribution of two Andean small cats (Leopardus jacobita and pampas cat Leopardus colocolo) in Bolivia and the potential impacts of traditional beliefs on their conservation" (PDF). Endangered Species Research. 16 (1): 85–94. doi:10.3354/esr00389.
11. Cossíos, D. E.; Madrid, A.; Condori, J. L. & Fajardo, U. (2007). "Update on the distribution of the Andean cat Oreailurus jacobita and the pampas cat Lynchailurus colocolo in Peru". Endangered Species Research. 3 (3): 313–320. doi:10.3354/esr00059.
12. Reppucci, J.; Gardner, B. & Lucherini, M. (2011). "Estimating detection and density of the Andean cat in the high Andes". Journal of Mammalogy. 92 (1): 140–147. doi:10.1644/10-MAMM-A-053.1.
13. Walker, R. S.; Novaro, A. J.; Perovic, P.; Palacios, R.; Donadio, E.; Lucherini, M.; Pia, M. & López, M. S. (2007). "Diets of three species of Andean Carnivores in High Altitude Deserts of Argentina". Journal of Mammalogy. 88 (2): 519–525. doi:10.1644/06-mamm-a-172r.1.
14. Lucherini, M. (2009). "Activity Pattern Segregation of Carnivores in the High Andes". Journal of Mammalogy. 90 (6): 1404–1409. doi:10.1644/09-mamm-a-002r.1.  76656004.
15. Cossíos D.; Beltrán Saavedra, F.; Bennet, M.; Bernal, N.; Fajardo, U.; Lucherini, M.; Merino, M. J.; Marino, J.; Napolitano, C.; Palacios, R.; Perovic, P.; Ramirez, Y.; Villalba, L.; Walker, S. & Sillero-Zubiri, C. (2007). Manual de metodologías para relevamientos de carnívoros alto andinos. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Alianza Gato Andino.
16. Palacios, R.; Villalba, L., eds. (2011). Plan Estratégico para la Conservación del Gato Andino, 2011–2016 (PDF). La Paz, Bolivia: Alianza Gato Andino.
17. Villalba, L.; Lucherini, M.; Walker, S.; Cossios, D.; Iriarte, A.; Sanderson, J.; Gallardo, G.; Alfaro, F.; Napolitano, C.; Sillero-Zubiri, C. (2004). The Andean Cat Conservation Action Plan (PDF). La Paz, Bolivia: Andean Cat Alliance.

External links

විකිමීඩියා කොමන්ස් මේ සම්බන්ධයෙන් අදාළ මාධ්‍ය ඇත:

Leopardus jacobita (category)

• "Cat in Thin Air".
• "Alianza Gato Andino". Andean Cat Alliance.
• "Andean cat". IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group.