Rare Andean Cat No Longer Exlusive to Andes
Posted on March 21, 2011
The Andean cat was once thought to live exclusively in the Andes. This location is what gave the threatened house cat-sized feline its name. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WSC) and its partners revealed in a new study that the Andean cat also frequents the Patagonian steppe at much lower elevations. The study appears in the recent edition of CATNews.
The finding represents a range extension for the Andean cat, which normally occurs at altitudes above 3,000 meters. The new survey presents evidence of the cats occurring at elevations as low as 650 meters on the Patagonian steppe. The engangered animal may number only 2,500 individuals throughout its entire range.
WCS conservationist Andres Novaro, lead author of the study says, "These confirmed records show the lowest elevations ever reported for the Andean cat. According to genetic studies underway led by Daniel Cossios, this new population appears to represent an evolutionary lineage distinct from the highland population."