Chinese Mountain Cat
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| Chinese Mountain Cat[1] | ||||||||||||||
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| Felis bieti Milne-Edwards, 1892 |
The Chinese Mountain Cat (Felis bieti), also known as the Chinese Desert Cat, is a small wild cat of western China. It is the least known member of the genus Felis, the common cats. A 2007 study found that it is more likely a subspecies of Felis silvestris; if so, it would be named Felis silvestris bieti.[3]
Except for the colour of its fur, this cat resembles a European Wildcat in its physical appearance. It is 27–33 in (68.6–83.8 cm) long, plus a 11.5–16 in (29.2–40.6 cm) tail. The adult weight can range from 4.5 to 9 kg (10 to 20 lbs). The fur is sand-coloured; the underside is whitish, legs and tail bear black rings. In addition there are pallid vertical bars, which may be hardly visible.[citation needed]
The Chinese Mountain Cat is is endemic to China and has a limited distribution over the northeastern parts of the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai and northern Sichuan [4] It inhabits sparsely-wooded forests and shrublands, and is occasionally found in true deserts. It can live in environments as much as 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) in elevation.
The species was first described in 1892 and is known only from six animals, which lived in chinese Zoos in 2007 and a few skins in museums. In summer 2007 some photos of this elusive cat were caught by camera traps in Sichuan. [5]
The Chinese Mountain Cat is active at night; it hunts for rodents, pikas and birds. This cat is protected in China, but it is still endangered due to the organised poisoning of pikas, its main prey; these poisonings either kill the cats unintentionally, or withdraw their food basis.
Some authorities regard the chutchta and vellerosa subspecies of the Wildcat as Chinese Mountain Cat subspecies.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Wozencraft, W. C. (16 November 2005). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 534. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
- ^ Cat Specialist Group (2002). Felis bieti. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is vulnerable
- ^ The Near Eastern Origin of Cat Domestication. Retrieved on July 7, 2007.
- ^ Li He, Rosa García-Perea, Ming Li and Fuwen Wei: Distribution and conservation status of the endemic Chinese mountain cat Felis bieti. Oryx (2004), 38: 55-61 Cambridge University Press. 2004
- ^ Science 317, S. 1151, 31. August 2007 pdf
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