Wild Cats http://wild-cats.nireblog.com Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:52:43 +0100 Wild Cats http://files.nireblog.com/blogs/wild-cats/gravatar.gif http://wild-cats.nireblog.com http://nireblog.com CAT EYES http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2009/06/01/cat-eyes http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2009/06/01/cat-eyes

Comments

]]> Mon, 01 Jun 2009 08:50:29 +0100 THE JUNGLE CAT: FELIX CHAUS http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2009/06/01/the-jungle-cat-felix-chaus http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2009/06/01/the-jungle-cat-felix-chaus The jungle cat (Felis chaus), also called the swamp lynx (although not closely related to the lynxes), is a medium-small cat, but is now considered the largest remaining species of the wild cat genus Felis. It averages 70 cm (28 in), plus a relatively short 20 cm (8 in) tail, and stands about 36 cm (14 in) tall. Weight varies across the range from 4 to 16 kg (8.8 to 35 lbs), though exceptionally heavy specimens have also been reported. Dependent on the subspecies the colour of the fur is yellowish-grey to reddish-brown. While vertical bars are visible on the fur of kittens, these bars disappear in adult cats. Due to the pointed ears and the long legs this cat resembles a small lynx (hence the name "swamp lynx").

This cat is distributed over Egypt, West and Central Asia, South Asia, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. It inhabits various habitats, for instance savannas, tropical dry forests and the reedbeds along rivers and lakes, but it is not found in rainforests. In some areas the jungle cat comes close to villages and may even live in deserted houses. The jungle cat lives in heights up to 2500 m, but is more common in the lowlands.

Jungle cats hunt in the daytime for rodents, frogs and birds. Those cats living close to bodies of water are able to swim and dive in order to catch fish.

This species has been hybridized with the domestic cat, producing the "chausie" breed, as well as the "jungle bob" breed.

During mating season, the male "barks", sounding like a large dog.[3] In captivity, males have been observed to be very protective of their offspring, more than the females of their own species, or males of other cat species.

 

 

 Subspecies

Status



This species is often assessed as being in no danger and has therefore been ignored as a rare species. In fact, in recent years a clearer picture has showed that this species could well be among the rarest of the small cats in Asia, and definitely the rarest one for which there is no protection within most of its current distribution. The species is assumed to be rare in its marginally African range. It is also assumed to be rather rare throughout the Middle East, where it is heavily hunted and poisoned (the only recent records from Jordan is of poisoned animals) and it is likely that this species is scarce in most parts of the Middle East. The species is assumed to be quite common in the Caucasus, although it is heavily hunted there for its fur.

 

Felis chaus

Gato de la jungla

Varias, ver texto.

El gato selvático, de la jungla o de los pantanos (Felis chaus) es un felino característico de las tierras bajas y húmedas del sur de Asia, desde el Mediterráneo oriental a Indochina y Malaca. Su área de distribución se prolonga hacia el norte en Asia Central, siguiendo el litoral del Mar Caspio y los cursos de grandes ríos como el Amu Daria y el Sir Daria. Alcanza de refilón la Rusia europea en la desembocadura del Volga y África en el Delta del Nilo.

Contenido

Aspecto físico

Por su aspecto, el gato de los pantanos recuerda a un [gato doméstico]de pelaje rojizo, con orejas ligeramente más largas y dotadas de pincel en el extremo (al igual que los linces, lo que le vale en ocasiones el apelativo de "lince de los pantanos"), patas largas y cola algo corta. La longitud y color del pelaje son variables, aunque en este último caso suele ser un rojizo más grisáceo en las subespecies más norteñas, mientras que las del sur lo tienen más vivo, anaranjado o amarillento. Las rayas oscuras se restringen a las patas, cara y cola.

Alimentación

Estos animales cazan tanto en tierra como en áreas encharcadas. Entre sus presas se incluyen ratas y ratones, liebres, aves (algunas de tamaño tan grande como el faisán), serpientes, ranas y peces. Ocasionalmente capturan también puercoespines y cervatillos. Sus habilidades para el salto y la natación son notables.

Reproducción

La época de reproducción varía según la zona. Generalmente se produce una sola camada al año, aunque en algunas regiones pueden darse dos.

Las hembras sólo son receptivas durante cinco días, tiempo en el que se someten al acoplamiento. En torno a dos meses después se produce el parto en un nido de 1 a 6 crías, aunque lo más normal es que sean 2 ó 3. Éstas nacen cubiertas de rayas que se difuminan a medida que crecen. Hacia los cinco o seis meses inician su vida independiente y al año y medio de edad ya son maduros sexualmente.

Relación con el humano Resulta sorprendente la capacidad del gato de los pantanos para adaptarse al extraordinario impacto humano sobre los cursos de agua y áreas pantanosas donde vive, especialmente en Oriente Próximo. En lugar de resentirse por ello, el gato de la jungla prospera y llega a ser un visitante habitual de las poblaciones humanas, donde llega a instalarse en casas abandonadas, al igual que los gatos domésticos. En algunos lugares se cría como mascota exótica y puede cruzarse con el gato doméstico para conseguir híbridos conocidos como Chausies. La raza de gato más empleada en estos cruces es el abisinio.

El gato de los pantanos también es cazado por su piel, aunque en determinadas zonas goza de protección. Así ocurre en la India, concretamente en las zonas donde coincide con el tigre.

Se sabe que este animal llegó a ser domesticado en el Bajo Egipto para emplearlo en la caza de aves acuáticas. De hecho, es posible que la domesticación del gato de los pantanos llevara posteriormente a la del gato doméstico y no al revés, al menos en Egipto.

Subespecies [

Felis chaus chaus

Comments

]]> Mon, 01 Jun 2009 07:56:33 +0100 FELIS BIATIS - CHINESE DESERT CAT http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2009/05/28/felis-biatis-chinese-desert-cat http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2009/05/28/felis-biatis-chinese-desert-cat

 

Comments

]]> Thu, 28 May 2009 11:26:31 +0100 Felis bieti (Gato chino del desierto) http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2009/05/28/felis-bieti-gato-chino-del-desierto http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2009/05/28/felis-bieti-gato-chino-del-desierto
El Gato del Desierto Chino
Felis bieti

INTRODUCCIÓN:

El Gato del Desierto Chino (Felis bieti) es uno de los félidos en la familia Felidae. Esta es una de las especies de la cual se tiene menos información en los félidos, sin embargo, se estima que no sea tan raro como inaccesible. Algunos autores consideran que cuando se pueda estudiar mejor, posiblemente demuestre ser una subespecie del Gato Silvestre (Felis silvestris).

DISTRIBUCIÓN:

La distribución natural del Gato del Desierto Chino se limita al Asia, desde el sur de Mongolia hasta el centro de China.

HÁBITAT:

Felis bieti habita en las estepas y los bosque en las montañas. Se le registra en elevaciones entre los 2,800 y los 4,100 metros.

HÁBITOS:

El Gato del Desierto Chino es más activo durante el amanecer, atardecer y la noche. Durante el día se esconde en su guarida.

REPRODUCCIÓN:

Los cachorros nacen en el mes de mayo. Se cree que las camadas usuales han de ser de dos a cuatro cachorros.

ALIMENTACIÓN:

La alimentación de Felis bieti aparenta ser basada en roedores, siendo complementada con otros mamíferos menores y aves.

DESCRIPCIÓN:

El tamaño del Gato del Desierto Chino es como el doble del Gato Doméstico. De longitud Felis bieti logra de 78 a 85 cm, más la cola que puede alcanzar los 35 cm. Los adultos de este gato llegan a pesar de 5 a 9 Kilogramos.

OTROS NOMBRES:

Al Gato del Desierto Chino en inglés se le conoce por “Chinese Desert Cat”.

Chinese Desert Cat

The Chinese desert cat which is a very rare cat, is a well-proportioned cat- sized cat. Like the sand cat, the soles of its feet are covered with thick mats of fur to protect it from the hot sands. Its coat is sandy brown with distinguishable darker brown spots set in wide-spaced vertical rows. It's undersides are very pale.

Zoological Name: Felis bieti

Distribution: This cat is distributed over these regions of China: Tibet., Qinghai and Sichuan. It inhabits sparsely-wooded forests and shrublands, but despite its name it is seldom found in true deserts.

Species: Three subspecies have been recognized: F. b. bieti, F. b. chutuchta (the Gobi cat), and F. b. vellerosa (the Long-haired Ordos cat). There are reasonable doubts about these and some authorities believe that they result from mis-identification of other species.

Physical appearance: The Chinese desert cat is very closely related to the wildcat (Felis silvestris) and the jungle cat (Felis chaus); it may yet prove to be a subspecies of one of these two. Poorly studied, the Chinese desert cat is actually known through the information availed from museum specimens. It is also known, more appropriately, as the Chinese mountain cat, and also as the pale cat, the grass cat or the pale desert cat.

 Larger than a domestic cat, this species is thickset and robust with a heavy coat. Coloured a pale yellowish grey, it is darker on the back and more orangey on the underside. The coat is peppered with black guard hairs. There are few body markings, just two or three transverse pale brownish streaks on the legs and haunches. Two indistinct brownish streaks across the cheeks are usually present.

Reproduction: The Chinese Desert Cats breed between January and Mark, with litters most often born in May. Litters range from 2 - 4 young, and the offspring reach independence at 7 - 8 months.

Conservation status:
The Chinese desert cat is found in similar habitat to the giant panda. A restricted range and extensive habitat destruction have caused the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to place it on Appendix II . This classification recognises that the species listed are in danger of becoming extinct if trade is not strictly regulated. The Chinese desert cat is also hunted for its skin.

Comments

]]> Thu, 28 May 2009 11:13:44 +0100 Felidae Family http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2009/05/28/felidae-family http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2009/05/28/felidae-family Felidae is the biological family of the cats; a member of this family is called a felid. Felids are the strictest carnivores of the sixteen mammal families in the order Carnivora. The most familiar felid is the Domestic Cat, which first became associated with humans about 10,000 years ago, but the family includes all other wild cats including the big cats.

Extant felids belong to one of two subfamilies: Pantherinae (which includes the Lion, the Tiger, the Jaguar, and the Leopard), and Felinae (which includes the Cougar, the Cheetah, the Serval, the Lynxes and Caracal, along with the Ocelot and Domestic Cat).

The first felids emerged during the Oligocene, about 25 million years ago. In prehistoric times, there was a third subfamily known as Machairodontinae, which included the "saber-toothed cats" such as the well known Smilodon. There were also other cat-like mammals, such as Thylacosmilus or the Nimravidae which are not included in Felidae despite superficial similarities.

Contents

 Evolution

There are 41 known species of felids in the world today, which have all descended from the same ancestor. This taxon originated in Asia and spread across continents by crossing land bridges. As reported in the journal Science, testing of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA by Warren Johnson and Stephen O'Brien of the U.S. National Cancer Institute demonstrated that ancient cats evolved into eight main lineages that diverged in the course of at least 10 migrations (in both directions) from continent to continent via the Bering land bridge and Isthmus of Panama, with the Panthera genus being the oldest and the Felis genus being the youngest. They estimated that 60 percent of the modern species of cats developed within the last million years.

Most felids have a haploid number of 18 or 19. New World cats (those in Central and South America) have a haploid number of 18, possibly due to the combination of two smaller chromosomes into one larger chromosome. Prior to this discovery, biologists had been largely unable to establish a family tree of cats from the fossil record because the fossils of different cat species all look very much alike, differing primarily in size.

The felids' closest relatives are thought to be the civets, hyenas, and mongooses. All felid species share a genetic anomaly that prevents them from tasting sweetness.

Characteristics

Felids are purely carnivorous animals, subsisting almost entirely on other vertebrates. Aside from the Lion, they are solitary. They are generally secretive animals, are often nocturnal, and live in relatively inaccessible habitats. Around three-quarters of cat species live in forested terrain, and they are generally agile climbers. However, felids may be found in almost any environment, with some species being native to mountainous terrain or deserts.

Wild felids are native to every continent except Australia and Antarctica.

Physical appearance


Skull the machairodontine Smilodon (Reconstruction)


Lion skull

The various species of felid vary greatly in size. One of the smallest is the Black-footed Cat at between 35-40 cm in length, while the largest is the Siberian Tiger. Compared with many other mammals, they have relatively short faces, and good binocular vision.

The fur of felids takes many different forms, being much thicker in those species that live in cold environments, such as the Snow Leopard. The colour of felids is also highly variable - although brown to golden fur is common in most species - often marked with distinctive spots, stripes, or rosettes. Many felid species also have a "tear stripe," a black stripe running from the corner of each eye down the side of the muzzle.

The tongue of felids is covered with horny papillae, which help to rasp meat from their prey. Almost all felids have fully retractable claws (one exception is the Cheetah). Cats have five toes on their forefeet and four on their hindfeet, reflecting their reliance on gripping and holding down their prey with their claws.

 Senses

Felids have relatively large eyes, situated to provide binocular vision. Their night vision is especially good, due to the presence of a tapetum lucidum, which reflects light back inside the eyeball, and gives felid eyes their distinctive shine.

The ears of felids are also large, and especially sensitive to high-frequency sounds in the smaller cats. Felids also have a highly developed sense of smell, although not to the degree seen in canids; this is further supplemented by the presence of a vomeronasal organ in the roof of the mouth, allowing the animal to "taste" the air. The use of this organ is associated with the Flehmen response, in which the upper lip is curled upwards.

Felids possess highly sensitive vibrissa (whiskers) set deep within the skin, and provide the cat with sensory information about the slightest air movement around it. For this reason, whiskers are very helpful to nocturnal hunters. Most felids are able to land on their feet after a fall, an ability which relies on vision and the sense of balance acting together. Dentition

With a few exceptions such as the lynx, felids have the dental formula:

The canine teeth are large, reaching exceptional size in the extinct saber-tooth species. The upper third premolar and lower molar are adapted as carnassial teeth, suited to tearing and cutting flesh.

The jaws of felids can only move vertically. This prevents them from being able to chew, but makes it easier for their powerful masseter jaw muscles to hold struggling prey.

 Classification

Traditionally five subfamilies are distinguished, the Felinae, the Pantherinae, the Acinonychinae (Cheetahs) and the extinct Machairodontinae and Proailurinae.

Extant species


Cheetah


Lion


Jaguar


Eurasian Lynx


Margay


Wild Cat

Genetic research gives a more concise classification for the living members of the cat family.

The last four lineages are more related to each other than to the first four, and form a clade within Felinae.

 Fossil felids


The American Lion was one of the abundant Pleistocene megafauna, a wide variety of very large mammals who went extinct about 10,000 years ago.

The oldest known true felid (Proailurus) lived in the late Oligocene and early Miocene epochs. During the Miocene it gave way to Pseudaelurus. Pseudaelurus is believed to be the latest common ancestor of the two extant subfamilies and the extinct subfamily, Machairodontinae. This group, better known as the saber-tooth cats, became extinct in the Late Pleistocene era. The group includes the genera Smilodon, Machairodus and Homotherium. The Metailurini were originally classified as a distinct tribe within the Machairodontinae, though they count as members of the Felinae in recent times.[9][10] The total number of fossil Felids that are known to science is not very high. Most extinct cat-like animals, once regarded as members of the Felidae, later turned out to be members of related, but distinct, families: the "false sabretooths" Nimravidae and Barbourofelidae. As a result, sabretooth "cats" seem to belong to four different lineages. Felidae radiated quite recently and most of the extant species are relatively young.

 Genera of the Felidae

The list follows McKenna and Bells Classification of Mammals for prehistoric genera (1997)[2] and Wozencraft (2005) in Wilson and Reeders Mammal Species of the World for extant genera.[1] Pseudaelurus is included here in the Felinae according to McKenna & Bell despite its basal position in felid evolution. Inconsistent to McKenna and Bell three additional prehistoric genera, Miracinonyx, Lokontailurus und Xenosmilus are listed. Sivapanthera is included into the Felinae (not Acinonychinae) and Ischrosmilus is included in the genus Smilodon.


Proailurus


Leopard cat (Prionailurus)


Ocelot (Leopardus)


Lion (Panthera)


Megantereon

Comments

]]> Thu, 28 May 2009 11:00:42 +0100 Lince Ibérico: Videos http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2009/05/27/lince-iberico-videos http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2009/05/27/lince-iberico-videos


 


Comments

]]> Wed, 27 May 2009 16:05:04 +0100 The white tiger http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2008/07/28/the-white-tiger http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2008/07/28/the-white-tiger

White Tiger

...Nothing really new here. You've all seen pictures of white tigers by this point, but you might not know the story of where these cats came from or how they got to be on the wall of every frame shop/print gallery that you walk in to...I am the man to tell you that story. But first...(because I have to turn everything into a freakin' master's thesis)...I will give you a little background on tigers in general. Then I will follow it up with the story of the white tiger in specific...as best I know the facts.

You guys know what a tiger is, right? O.K....There were originally eight accepted subspecies of tiger (Panthera tigris)...here is a list...

The Bali Tiger (P.t. balica) - the smallest and darkest of the tigers lived on the island of Bali where it went extinct when the last female was killed on September 27, 1937.

The Caspian Tiger (P.t. virgata) - was second in size only to the Siberian.The last time a living specimen was seen was in Afghanistan in 1967. A fresh skin was examined in eastern Turkey in 1973. A dozen or so Caspians are thought to have held out in the mountains of northern Iran until about 1980. It is believed to be completely extinct, but occasional reports of sightings still trickle out of the area.

The Javan Tiger (P.t. sondaica) - was the most recent extinction. Last seen in 1972, it is thought that there were only two left by 1981, despite attempts to set up a preserve. There was no report of the animal after 1988.

The South China Tiger (P.t. amoyensis) - continues to be poached. There are probably less than fifty left in the world and only twenty of these are wild. The South China tiger has the most sparsely striped coat of all the tigers.

The Sumatran Tiger (P.t. sumatrae) - This species is the smallest surviving species and is characterized by a long facial "ruff". There are less than 400 left.

The Siberian or Amur Tiger (P.t. altaica) - is the largest of all the tigers, reaching thirteen feet long and weighing up to eight hundred pounds. There are around one thousand left, but around five hundred of these are in captivity. The remaining 200-450 or so live in a small area of northeastern Russia and North Korea.

The Indo-Chinese Tiger (P.t. corbetti) - Around 1200 are spread out over Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Burma, and Malaysia.

The Bengal or Indian Tiger (P.t. tigris) - The most numerous species with approximately 3000 individuals. This is the only subspecies in which Leucistic (white) individuals have been reported.

Over the past one hundred years, there have only been a dozen or so reports of white Bengal tigers being seen in the wild in India. The striking white coat is caused by a double recessive allele in the genetic code, and only turns up naturally about once in every 10,000 births. Strangely enough, the Bengal tiger is the only subspecies in which it seems to happen. As beautiful as it may look, life as a white tiger can't be easy when your life depends on being able to hide from and/or sneak up on things.

In 1951, in central India, Maharaja Shri Martand Singh found a male white cub who's mother had been recently killed. He returned to his palace with the cub that he named "Mohan". The tiger soon became a bit of a celebrity.

When Mohan reached adulthood, he was bred to a normal tiger named "Begum". They produced three litters of cubs, but none of them were white. When Mohan was bred to one of his own daughters from the second litter however, four white cubs were born.One of these white cubs was named "Mohini" who was then bred to her uncle/half-brother "Sampson" and two of their offspring were sent to the National Zoo in Washington D.C. where they were bred to each other and produced, among other cubs, "Kesari" who was the foundation for the Cincinnati Zoo's line of white tigers....yada,yada,yada...you get the picture.

In short, ALL of the white tigers you see in pictures are descendants of Mohan, and they are a close knit family (if you know what I mean). This includes the thirty-five or so "Royal White Tigers of Nevada" kept by Siegfried and Roy at The Mirage in Las Vegas.

The hard working people who are trying to preserve the genetic integrity of all the separate subspecies don't dig the idea of zoo keepers constantly inbreeding one line of Bengals, (and filling up zoo space with pretty oddities), while so many other types of tiger are tottering on the edge of extinction. This is made worse by the fact that, in the rush to produce more white tigers, not much attention was paid to the lineage of the other animals being bred into the line. The result is that few of the white tigers can be said, with any certainty, to be pure Bengal, as Mohan was.

I know that sounds fascist, but I kind of see both sides. If white tigers mean increased attendance at zoos, then they mean more money, and in the hands of a good zoo, more money translates to better facilities...etc...etc.etc. It can only help the SSP, (Species Survival Plan), in the long run....ON THE OTHER HAND...I hate to see the world get to the point where people are only interested in saving the prettiest, the biggest, or the most impressive. I think the white tiger is possibly the most beautiful animal on earth, but we have plenty of them now...They are pseudo-domestic animals totally unsuited for life in the wild...and if there are only 50 Chinese Tigers left...I'd rather someone spend MY zoo admission on THEM.-S.

Comments

]]> Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:22:56 +0100 CONSERVATION IN ACTION http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2008/01/17/conservation-in-action http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2008/01/17/conservation-in-action


Many organisations and groups around the world are actively involved in research, study and conservation of the wildcat species and their ecosystems. On this page are listed just a few who have established Web sites where you can go and learn more about their valuable contribution to world conservation.

Project Tiger

In the 1970's the Indian government aided by the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) and the IUCN (World Conservation Union), initialized Project Tiger with the opening of nine tiger reserves. Today, the number of tiger reserves in India has risen to over twenty and their success has meant that, not only has the Indian tiger population stabilized, but also many new insights have been gained into the nature of the tiger in the wild. However poaching and the erosion of the surrounding habitat still endangers the Indian Tiger and as in other conservation areas and reserves, confrontation between local inhabitants and conservationists regarding the threat to domestic livestock and man himself still remains a problem to be resolved.

For further background information on Project Tiger visit the The Arjan Singh Foundation

Feline Conservation Center

Founded in Rosamond in 1977 the Feline Conservation Center is a non-profit organisation run entirely on public donations. Over 50 cats, ranging in size from 7 to 700 pounds, currently live at the compound. The Feline Conservation Center is part of a world-wide network of zoos and facilities dedicated to the preservation of endangered cats, acting as a modern-day ark in the face of human overpopulation and mass extinction of animal species.

Cat Survival Trust

The Cat Survival Trust was registered as a charity in 1976 and currently has about 45 cats at its headquarters in Hertfordshire, UK. The Trust now concentrates on conserving the entire habitat where cats live and is establishing a reserve in Misiones, Argentina - home to five species of cat - and is hoping to reintroduce the jaguar, which vanished from the area about 80 years ago.

The International Snow Leopard Trust

The International Snow Leopard Trust is actively involved in the conservation of the snow leopard and its mountain habitat. The International Snow Leopard Trust was established in 1981 and works within Central Asia helping to promote conservation projects within local communities where snow leopards are often killed in retaliation livestock predation and where hunting of the mountain cat for its fur, bones and organs, used in many traditional medicines, is common place.

Comments

]]> Thu, 17 Jan 2008 08:10:40 +0100 PUPPIES- CACHORROS-CUCCIOLI http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2008/01/15/puppies-cachorros-cuccioli http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2008/01/15/puppies-cachorros-cuccioli LYNX PUPPIES

LION PUPPY

Comments

]]> Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:56:56 +0100 LINCE IBÉRICO EN PELIGRO- SPANISH LYNX IN DANGER http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2008/01/15/lince-iberico-en-peligro-spanish-lynx-in-danger http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2008/01/15/lince-iberico-en-peligro-spanish-lynx-in-danger    
Estas paginas se dedican al Lince ibérico.

Y a todas las especies, que como él, están a punto de desaparecer del planeta. 
Nombres vernáculos
Lince ibérico (Castellano)
Linx ibéric (Catalán)
Gato cerval (Gallego)
Katamotz iberriara (Vasco)
Iberian lynx (Ingles)
Pardel lynx (Ingles)
Spanish lynx (Ingles)
Lynx d’Espagne (Francés)
Lynx pardelle (Francés)
Pardelluchs (Alemán)
Lobo cerval (Portugués)
Lince pardina (Italiano)


"Cada país tiene tres formas de riqueza: material, cultural y biológica. Las dos primeras las comprendemos bien porque son la sustancia de nuestra vida cotidiana. La esencia del problema de la biodiversidad es que la riqueza biológica se toma mucho menos seriamente. Éste es un error que lamentaremos cada vez más a medida que el tiempo pase. La diversidad es una fuente potencial de una inmensa riqueza material no explotada en forma de comida, medicinas y servicios. La fauna y flora son también parte del patrimonio de un país, el producto de millones de años de evolución centrados en aquel tiempo y en aquel lugar y, por ello, tan merecedor del interés nacional como las particularidades del lenguaje y de la cultura" 

"No dudo ni un momento en invocar la fuerte mano de la ley protectora y de los protocolos internacionales en la preservación de la riqueza biológica, en oposición a los incentivos tributarios y a los permisos de contaminación vendibles. En las sociedades democráticas, la gente puede pensar que su gobierno está ligado por una versión ecológica del juramento hipocrático: no emprender acción alguna que, a sabiendas, pueda poner en peligro la biodiversidad. Pero esto no es suficiente. El compromiso debe ser mucho más profundo: no dejar, a sabiendas, que ninguna especie muera, emprender todas las acciones razonables para proteger a perpetuidad a todas las especies y razas. La responsabilidad moral del gobierno en la conservación de la biodiversidad es similar a la que tiene en lo concerniente a la salud pública y a la defensa militar. La preservación de las especies a través de las generaciones está más allá de la capacidad de los individuos o incluso de poderosas instituciones privadas. Hasta donde se estime que la biodiversidad es un recurso público insustituible, su protección debería estar especificada en los preceptos legales."

Comments

]]> Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:47:02 +0100 PANTHER EYES http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2008/01/15/panther-eyes http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2008/01/15/panther-eyes

Comments

]]> Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:25:30 +0100 TIGER EYES http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2008/01/14/tiger-eyes http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2008/01/14/tiger-eyes

Comments

]]> Mon, 14 Jan 2008 00:10:11 +0100 I love tigers http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2008/01/13/i-love-tigers http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2008/01/13/i-love-tigers

http://www.humour-felin.com/images/felin/wallpapers/real_tigre_blanc_marchant.jpg

Comments

]]> Sun, 13 Jan 2008 23:51:42 +0100 The Irimote http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2008/01/13/the-irimote http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2008/01/13/the-irimote
Cars, hotel development, and the threat of a deadly frog fungus are pushing one of the world's rarest wildcats closer to extinction, conservationists warn.

 

This month Japan's Ministry of the Environment reclassified the Iriomote cat as "critically endangered" on the government's Red List of threatened species.  

This change in status is the latest indication of the dire predicament facing the unusual feline, experts say.

The wildcat is found only on Iriomote Jima, a tiny, tropical, mountainous island on the southern end of the Ryukyu archipelago, which stretches from Japan to Taiwan

The Iriomote cat has been considered at-risk since it was discovered in 1967, and surveys in 1985 and 1994 estimated that only about a hundred animals remain.

Now a three-year survey, still in progress, is providing evidence that the cat's already small population is shrinking, researchers say, most likely due to habitat loss and roadkill deaths.

"If we think about how to stop destruction of the cat's habitat, prevent traffic accidents, and take other measure we can stop the extinction," said Masako Izawa, a professor at the University of the Ryukyus who has been studying the cat since 1982.

"The reclassification to 'critically endangered' is a warning."

Roadkill

About the size of a large house cat, the Iriomote cat has a long, dusky brown pelt that helps it blend in to its jungle surroundings.

The feline was originally considered a unique species, but recent DNA studies have suggested that it might be a subspecies of the Southeast Asian leopard cat.

The cat likely arrived on Iriomote Jima when the island was joined to the Asian continent about 200,000 years ago. Due to the small available range, the wildcat has probably never numbered more than a few hundred animals.

The animal favors lowland coastal areas, and much of its habitat runs from the northern to the southeastern part of the island.

But this same region is also home to most of the island's 2,318 human residents. 

Izawa said she has no doubts about the most serious threat to the cat's survival: the destruction and fragmentation of its habitat by humans.

People first settled on the island shortly after World War II. Over the last decade the human population has increased by a fifth, while the number of tourists has almost tripled since 1990 to current counts of more than 350,000 visitors a year.

Although Iriomote Jima only has a single main road, that highway runs along the northern coast—straight through the nocturnal feline's habitat.

Forty-one roadkill deaths have been recorded since 1978, most of which happen at night, when the cat hunts.

To make the road safer for the animals, part of it has been designated an "eco-road," with warning signs for drivers and no less than 80 special underpasses meant for the cats to use when crossing.

Since 1995 the Iriomote Wildlife Conservation Center has operated a clinic on the island to look after ill and injured cats. To date 12 cats have been taken in and 4 successfully released back into the wild.

The center also tries to safeguard the cat's varied prey.

At the top of the island food chain, the Iriomote cat eats everything from small mammals to birds, lizards, snakes, fruit bats, crickets, and crabs. And unusually for a cat, it also hunts frogs.

That is why scientists are deeply concerned about the risk from chytrid fungus, a deadly frog disease first reported in Japan near Tokyo late last year.

If the fungus reaches the island, it could have a catastrophic effect on the frog population with correspondingly severe consequences for the Iriomote cat.

Conservationists have laid out disinfectant mats in the island's ports, and a poster and flier campaign is underway to warn residents and visitors of the danger.

The wildlife center is also working to keep out poisonous cane toads, an invasive foreign species that has already reached nearby islands in the Ryukyus.

Public Perception

But the Iriomote cat is still on the decline, and there is no end in sight to the problem of habitat destruction.

Despite opposition from conservationists, a new hotel with room for 423 guests was built and opened in July 2004.

"In the present situation we are not able to do much to limit the increase and are concerned the island will be overexploited," said Maki Okamura, a scientist at the Iriomote Wildlife Conservation Center.

Iriomote is in Japan's poorest region, and many islanders are keen to increase tourism as well as bolster local agriculture.

"The most difficult and important thing is gaining the understanding of the islanders on the need to protect the cat," Okamura said.

"At times the island's development and the cat's protection are directly opposed."

Extending reserves is one option, Izawa of the University of the Ryukyus said. But, she noted, the cat already shares much of its main habitat with islanders, tourists, and vehicles.

"Reserves are not the solution for all problems. We need some regulation or management by government for the development for tourism."

Both Okamura and Izawa stress that it is still too early to think about captive breeding, saying that the first priority should be efforts to protect the cat in the wild.

"Hopefully," Okamura said, "the reclassification to critically endangered will help to increase awareness that the cat is facing extinction." .

Comments

]]> Sun, 13 Jan 2008 21:15:26 +0100 The black panther http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2008/01/13/the-black-panther http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2008/01/13/the-black-panther

Comments

]]> Sun, 13 Jan 2008 19:14:00 +0100 Cheetah videos http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2007/05/04/cheetah-videos http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2007/05/04/cheetah-videos

Comments

]]> Fri, 04 May 2007 22:39:26 +0100 Specialized Cat http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2007/05/04/specialized-cat http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2007/05/04/specialized-cat


Cheetahs are an excellent example of the effects of natural selection on creating a super fast, aerodynamic hunting cat.

 

There are several species of large cats in the world, including leopards, lions, jaguars, mountain lions, ocelots, and tigers, but none of them can match the speed of the cheetah. Natural selection works when those creatures having the best physical ability, body design, and behaviors to adapt to their environment and survive, where other creatures without those "cool features" will not survive to pass on their genes to another generation. There are many other large wild cats who look and behave very differently from the cheetah, but have adapted to survive in their environments in other ways. Look at the cool features on the cheetah that help to make it such an awesome speed demon

                                      

Comments

]]> Fri, 04 May 2007 20:02:11 +0100 Tasmanian tiger: a reflection for Earth day http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2007/04/22/tasmanian-tiger-a-reflection-for-earth-day http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2007/04/22/tasmanian-tiger-a-reflection-for-earth-day                               

Australian Museum Director Professor Michael Archer looks at an 1866 Tasmanian Tiger embryo and skeleton in Sydney May 28, 2002 that scientists have used to successfully replicate some of the animals genes using DNA extracted from the specimen. Scientists say they hope to clone a Tasmanian Tiger in 10 years if they are successful in constructing large quantities of all the genes of the extinct animal and sequencing sections of the genome to create a genetic library of Tasmanian Tiger DNA. The animal, also known as a thylacine, was a dog-like carnivirous marsupial with stripes on its back that lived on the Australian island state of Tasmania before it was hunted down by farmers who blamed it for killing sheep. The last known tiger died in 1936.

 But this is my reflection:

 "Why man wants to revive an extinguished animal??

 In order to boast of its power

Maybe for showing proudly the greatness of science? .

What the sense  of recovering the tiger of tasmania if his  habitat not  exists more, his forests, his lands, his food...

Only for putting him in a zoological for satisfaction of curiosity of tourists:

 Enter and see, for few dolars :

The magnify clone of an old savage

Much of what we know about the thylacine comes from historical records, personalised accounts collected by zoologist Eric Guiler in the 1970's and 1980's or from studying museum collections. Much of its biology may never be known now.

                                  

We do know that it used to be widespread on the mainland about 7,000 years ago and has probably been extinct there for 2,000 years. This has been attributed to the competition of dingoes, which were introduced at least 8,000 years ago to the mainland.

 

The thylacine was in Tasmania when Europeans first arrived 200 years ago. They may have already been on the decline but this was certainly accelerated by the new arrivals. Thylacines were seen as a direct threat to stock and were shot on sight. Eventually a bounty was placed on them and 2063 claims for bounty were made which led to the thylacines rapid extinction. Unfortunately the thylacines habitat coincided with the best farming areas. Many were trapped for zoos and these are now a source of records on thylacine biology in captivity. From such records we learnt that they survived in captivity for up to 13 years. Those caught with pouch young often had 3 and once 4 pouch young.

 

 The thylacine looked like a large, long dog, with stripes, a heavy stiff tail and a big head. Its scientific name, Thylacinus cynocephalus, means pouched dog with a wolfs head. Fully grown it measured about 180 cm (6 ft) from nose to tail tip, stood about 58 cm (2 ft) high at the shoulder and weighed up to 30 kg. The short, soft fur was brown except for 13 - 20 dark brown-black stripes that extended from the base of the tail to almost the shoulders. The stiff tail became thicker towards the base and appeared to merge with the body.

Thylacines were usually mute, but when anxious or excited made a series of husky, coughing barks. When hunting, they gave a distinctive terrier-like, double yap, repeated every few seconds. Unfortunately there are no recordings.

The thylacine was shy and secretive and always avoided contact with humans. Despite its common name, 'tiger' it had a quiet, nervous temperament compared to its little cousin, the Tasmanian Devil. Captured animals generally gave up without a struggle, and many died suddenly, apparently from shock. When hunting, the thylacine relied on a good sense of smell, and stamina. It was said to pursue its prey relentlessly, until the prey was exhausted. The thylacine was rarely seen to move fast, but when it did it appeared awkward. It trotted stiffly, and when pursued, broke into a kind of shambling canter.

 Why are they extinct?

 

The arrival of European settlers marked the start of a tragic period of conflict that led to the thylacine's extinction. The introduction of sheep in 1824 led to conflict between the settlers and thylacines.


  • 1830 Van Diemens Land Co. introduced a thylacine bounties.
  • 1888 Tasmanian Parliament placed a price of £1 on thylacine's head.
  • 1909 Government bounty scheme terminated. 2184 bounties paid.
  • 1910 Thylacines rare -- sought by zoos around the world.
  • 1926 London Zoo bought its last thylacine for £150.
  • 1933 Last thylacine captured, Florentine Valley, sold Hobart Zoo.
  • 1936 World's last captive thylacine died in Hobart Zoo, ( 7/9/36).
  • 1936 Tasmanian tiger added to the list of protected Wildlife.
  • 1986 Thylacine declared extinct by international standards.

    • Comments

    ]]>     Sun, 22 Apr 2007 10:11:45 +0100     Tyger by William Blake http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2007/04/18/tyger-by-william-blake http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2007/04/18/tyger-by-william-blake

    The Tiger

    Poem lyrics of The Tiger by William Blake.

    Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
    In the forests of the night
    What immortal hand or eye
    Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

     

    In what distant deeps or skies
    Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
    On what wings dare he aspire?
    What the hand dare seize the fire?

    And What shoulder, and what art,
    Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
    And when thy heart began to beat,
    What dread hand? and what dread feet?

    What the hammer? what the chain?
    In what furnace was thy brain?
    What the anvil? what dread grasp
    Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

     

    When the stars threw down their spears,
    And watered heaven with their tears,
    Did he smile his work to see?
    Did he who made the lamb make thee?

    Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
    In the forests of the night,
    What immortal hand or eye
    Dare frame thy fearful symmetry

    Comments

    ]]>     Wed, 18 Apr 2007 17:16:16 +0100     Wild cats http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2007/04/08/wild-cats http://wild-cats.nireblog.com/post/2007/04/08/wild-cats

    Comments

    ]]>     Sun, 08 Apr 2007 11:56:56 +0100