In 2013, Oncilla (Hyōmon)a species of small spotted cat native to the Americas; the northern tabby cat (Hyōmon) and southern tabby cat (Hyōmon). A new study led by the University of Maranhão has shown that Oncilla is actually three different species.
Cloudy tabby cat (leopardus pardinoides). Image credit: Johannes Pfleiderer.
The oncilla is a wild cat about the size of a domestic cat that lives in the mountains and rainforests of Costa Rica, Brazil, and Argentina.
These creatures, also known as tabby cats, Margaise (Hyōmon) and Ocelot (Hyōmon)but they are small, with slender builds and narrow muzzles.
They weigh only 1.5 kg, but usually do not exceed 3 kg, with males being slightly larger than females. The body length is 35-60cm and the height is about 25cm.
Oncilla has a yellowish-ochre background fur with a pattern of mainly open rosettes.
They eat small mammals, lizards, birds, eggs, invertebrates, and sometimes even tree frogs.
They typically live between 10 and 14 years in the wild, but have been known to live up to 23 years in captivity.
They are threatened by habitat loss from cattle ranching, agriculture, and the local pet trade.
Tadeu de Oliveira, a researcher at the University of Maranhão, and his colleagues say: “The tabby cat species group is the progenitor of an ancient classification system and one of the most intriguing, mysterious and fascinating groups of cats. “It is,” he said.
“Due to the limited knowledge available, the tabby cat has long been subject to several preconceptions regarding its range and associated habitats, both before and after species divergence. These include: and its presence in the Pantanal.”
“As it stands, the tabby cat species complex currently consists of two species. Hyōmon and Hyōmonthe former is further divided into three subspecies. Leopardus tigrinus oncilla, Leopardus tigrinus pardinoidesand leopardus tigrinus tigrinus” they added.
“Hyōmon and Hyōmon Both are currently defined as globally endangered species. ”
“They live in some of the most endangered ecoregions and biodiversity hotspots in the Americas, including the Cerrado, the tropical Andes, the Atlantic Forest, and the Talamanca Mountains.”
“As an exception, leopardus tigrinus tigrinus, there are no published conservation priority areas for entities within the complex. ”
“Given the endangered status of these species and the high rates of habitat loss within their respective ranges, it is unlikely that viable populations of these species will exist. It is essential to identify areas with high levels.”
Typical examples of tabby cat species complexes: (a) Savannah tabby cat (Hyōmon); (b) Cloudy tabby cat (leopardus pardinoides); (c) Atlantic Forest tabby cat (Hyōmon). Image credit: Ricardo Ribeiro / Johannes Pfleiderer / de Oliveira other., doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-52379-8.
In their study, the authors sought to determine the actual distribution range of tabby cat species and subspecies, compare their characteristics, and assess similarities and differences between them.
Ultimately, they aimed to characterize tabby cats and determine the actual number of the species.
“Our results revealed the existence of a cryptic species, the Claudi tabby cat (leopardus pardinoides), which includes both Leopardus tigrinus oncilla and Leopardus tigrinus pardinoides,” they said.
According to the team: leopardus pardinoides It is a long-tailed cat with short rounded ears and weighs 2.27 kg.
This new species has a strikingly margay-looking head with a rich reddish/oranged/gray-yellow background color and is adorned with irregularly shaped medium to large 'cloudy' rosettes. , with dense, soft fur, strongly marked and often coalesced.
The characteristic is LEopardus pardinoides There is only one pair of breasts/nipples.
This species is found in the extinct cloud forests of southern Central America and the Andes, usually above 1,500 meters above sea level, especially between 2,000 and 3,000 meters, in subtropical/temperate climates with mild temperatures and very abundant precipitation. You can see it. Usually located in areas where ocelot numbers are low or non-existent.
“leopardus pardinoides “Distributed along 11 mountain ecoregions,” the researchers said.
“In Central America, it is restricted to the Tilaran Mountains, Central Volcanic Mountains, and Talamanca Mountains (Talamancan Mountains Forest ecoregion) in Costa Rica and Panama and the eastern montane forests of Panama.”
“The lowland rainforests and wetlands of the Atrato River basin of the Choco Darien ecoregion are the main barrier between the populations of the brown tabby cat in eastern Panama and the Andes, while in the north the species is restricted to the Isthmian Atlantic rainforest. limited by.”
“In South America, its range extends from the Andean forests of Venezuela through the eastern, central, and western mountain ranges of Colombia to Ecuador, through Peru, Bolivia, and the Yungas Forest ecoregion of the southern Andes, and ends in northwestern Argentina.”
“The core area of its distribution is in Colombia, but it also extends to Ecuador.”
of the team result appear in the diary scientific report.
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TG de Oliveira other. 2024. Ecological modeling, biogeography and phenotypic analysis establish a transdimensional niche for the tabby cat, revealing a new species. science officer 14, 2395; doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-52379-8
Source: www.sci.news
