Systematic, ecological, ethological and biogeographic notes on the ?andean cat?, Felis jacobita Cornalia (Fel., Carnivora)

Abstract

The relation between the two chambers of the tympanic bulla where the anterior is bigger than the posterior iz considered, as proposed by Kuhn (1973), a valid diagnostic character for Felis jacobita. Previous records for the species are reviewed. A distribution map is based on reliable records plus two new records from the province of Tucumán, Argentina are presented, The distribution seems to be exclusively high-andine and insular (patchy), Conditions of the habitat described for this species in Perú. It seems markedly stenoic. The behaviour of the first specimen of andean cat photographed and observed in the wild is analized. Like other big cats it seems to ambush its prey mainly at night, and supports possible food shortage in spring. Population density of andean cats seems to be low, in the order of one per 10 km2 (according to carrying capacity) and much less according to field data. Further more with the impossibility for this species to live below a certain altitude (~4000 m), it is fragmented into minuscule populations, a fact that may partly explain its remarkable evolutionary divergence. Human activity reduces these populations even more, and interrupts genetic flow between them, posing a serious threat to their survival.