Andean mountain cat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Andean mountain cat |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Feliformia |
| Family: | Felidae |
| Subfamily: | Felinae |
| Genus: | Leopardus |
| Species: |
L. jacobita
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| Binomial name | |
| Leopardus jacobita (Cornalia, 1865)
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| Distribution of the Andean cat, 2016 | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Oreailurus jacobita |
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The Andean mountain cat (scientific name: Leopardus jacobita) is a rare and beautiful wild cat. It lives high up in the Andes mountains of South America. This small cat is listed as Endangered because there are fewer than 1,500 of them left in the wild. Many indigenous people, like the Aymara and Quechua people, see this cat as a sacred animal. The Andean mountain cat was first described by a scientist named Emilio Cornalia. He named it after Jacobita Mantegazza. It is a unique species, meaning it's the only one of its kind in its group.
Contents
Discovering the Andean Cat's Unique Look
The Andean mountain cat has beautiful ashy-gray fur. Its head is gray, and its ears are rounded. It has a black nose and lips, with white fur around them. Two dark brown lines stretch from its eyes across its cheeks. You can see black spots on its front legs and yellowish-brown patches on its sides. Its back legs have one or two thin, dark rings.
One of its most striking features is its long, bushy tail. This tail has six to nine dark brown or black rings. Young Andean cats have darker and smaller markings than adult cats.
These cats are about the size of a large domestic cat. Their body length, from head to tail base, is about 58 to 85 centimeters (23 to 33 inches). Their tail adds another 41 to 48 centimeters (16 to 19 inches). They stand about 36 centimeters (14 inches) tall at the shoulder. An adult Andean cat can weigh up to 5.5 kilograms (12 pounds). Their fur on the back and tail is quite long, about 40 to 45 millimeters (1.6 to 1.8 inches). Even their paw pads are covered with hair! Their rounded footprints are about 4 centimeters (1.6 inches) long and 3.5 centimeters (1.4 inches) wide.
How to Tell Them Apart from Pampas Cats
The Andean mountain cat looks a lot like another wild cat called the pampas cat. This can make it tricky to tell them apart! Here are some key differences:
- Tail: The Andean cat's tail is very thick and bushy. It makes up about two-thirds of its total body length. It has 6 to 9 wide rings, each up to 60 millimeters (2.4 inches) wide. The pampas cat's tail is thinner and shorter, about half its body length, with 9 thin rings, each up to 20 millimeters (0.8 inches) wide.
- Face: Andean cats have clear, dark lines on the sides of their eyes and rounded ear tips. Pampas cats, if they have lines, they are brown and less noticeable. Their ears are often triangular.
- Nose: The Andean cat has a very dark or black nose. The pampas cat usually has a light-colored, often pink nose.
- Fur Color: Andean cats are typically yellow and rust-colored, or gray and black. Pampas cats can be cream, red, rust, or black.
- Coat Pattern: Andean cats have one main coat pattern. Pampas cats can have three different patterns with many variations.
- Ears: Andean cats have ears with a uniform base color. Pampas cats often have patterned ears.
- Front Paws: Andean cats have rings that are not complete, looking more like spots. Pampas cats have two or more clear, complete black rings on their front paws.
Where Do Andean Cats Live?
The Andean mountain cat makes its home only in the very high parts of the Andes mountains. These cats live in places like Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, and central Peru. They can be found at amazing heights, from about 1,800 meters (5,900 feet) up to over 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) above sea level!
Their home is often dry, rocky, and steep, with not many plants. This shows that they like cool, dry land environments. For example, in the Salar de Surire Natural Monument, scientists estimated there were only about five cats in an area of 250 square kilometers (96 square miles). In another study in Jujuy Province, Argentina, they found about seven to twelve cats in every 100 square kilometers (38 square miles) at an elevation of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet).
The Andes mountains have deep valleys that break up the areas where these cats live. Their favorite food, the mountain viscacha, also lives in scattered groups. This means the cats' habitat is not continuous. Sadly, because of this, the cats have very low genetic diversity, which can make them less able to adapt to changes.
Andean Cat Behavior and Life Cycle
The Andean cat shares its home with other wild cats, like the pampas cat and the cougar. These cats often hunt at similar times. Studies show that both Andean cats and pampas cats are seen most often on nights without a moon. They are also seen quite a bit during full moons.
What Do Andean Cats Eat?
The main food for the Andean cat is the mountain viscacha. This rodent makes up almost 94% of the total weight of food the Andean cat eats! The pampas cat also relies heavily on viscachas, which make up about 75% of its diet. Even though viscachas are a big part of their diet, Andean cats also hunt other small animals. These include small reptiles, birds, and other small mammals like tuco-tucos.
Andean Cat Reproduction
Scientists believe that Andean cats have their breeding season in July and August. This is based on people seeing adult cats with their young. However, young kittens have also been spotted in April and October. This suggests that the breeding season might last longer, possibly into November or December.
Usually, an Andean cat mother will give birth to one or two kittens. These young are often born during the spring and summer months. This timing is smart because food is usually more plentiful during these seasons. More food means the young cats have a better chance of surviving and growing strong.
Protecting the Endangered Andean Cat
The Andean mountain cat faces many dangers. Its biggest threats include losing its home (habitat loss) and its home becoming damaged. Hunting and diseases also put these cats at risk.
Because of these threats, the Andean cat is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. It is also protected by the US Federal List and CITES Appendix I. This means it is against the law to hunt or trade these cats in all the countries where they live.
To help save these amazing animals, the Andean Cat Alliance was created in 2003. This group brings together people from Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, and Chile. Their goal is to study the Andean cat and work on ways to protect it.
Laws That Protect Andean Cats
Many countries have laws to protect the Andean cat:
- Argentina: Laws passed in 1981, 1997, and 1986 make it illegal to hunt or trade Andean cats. There are 9 protected areas where evidence of these cats has been found in 7 of them.
- Bolivia: A decree in 1990 banned hunting, capturing, or selling wild animals and their parts. There are 8 protected areas, with evidence of cats in 6.
- Chile: A law from 1972 makes hunting any wild cat illegal. Breaking this law can lead to big fines or even jail time. Chile has 7 protected areas, and cats have been found in all of them.
- Peru: A decree in 1999 made it illegal to hunt, trade, or own any part of an Andean cat, whether alive or dead. Peru has 12 protected areas, and cats have been found in 4 of them.
These laws and efforts are very important to ensure the Andean mountain cat can survive and thrive in its mountain home.
See also
In Spanish: Gato andino para niños
