Scottish wildcat
Scottish wildcat | |
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Female and kitten at the British Wildlife Centre | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Suborder: | Feliformia |
Family: | Felidae |
Subfamily: | Felinae |
Genus: | Felis |
Species: | F. silvestris |
Subspecies: | F. s. silvestris
|
Population: | Scottish wildcat |
The Scottish wildcat is a
It was once widely distributed acrossIt is listed as Critically Endangered in the United Kingdom and is threatened by hybridization with domestic cats.[4] Since all individuals sampled in recent years showed high levels of hybridisation with domestic and feral cats, this population is thought to be functionally extinct in the wild.[5]
Taxonomy
Felis grampia was the
Results of
Characteristics
The male Scottish wildcat has a head-to-body length ranging from 578 to 636 mm (22.8 to 25.0 in) with 305–355 mm (12.0–14.0 in) long tails and of females from 504 to 572 mm (19.8 to 22.5 in) with 280–341 mm (11.0–13.4 in) long tails. Condylobasal length of skulls of females varies from 82 to 88 mm (3.2 to 3.5 in) and of males from 88 to 99 mm (3.5 to 3.9 in).[8] Males weigh 3.77–7.26 kg (8.3–16.0 lb), while females are smaller at 2.35–4.68 kg (5.2–10.3 lb).[10]
The Scottish wildcat's fur is distinctly striped with a solid tabby patterning. Its ringed tail is bushy with a black tip. It differs from the domestic cat by stripes on the cheeks and hind legs, the absence of spots, white markings and coloured backs of the ears.[4] It is heavier than a domestic cat, has longer limb bones and a more robust skull. It is also larger in body size, but with a shorter gastrointestinal tract.[11]
Distribution and habitat
The Scottish wildcat has been present in Britain since the early Holocene, when the British Isles were connected to continental Europe via Doggerland.[12] It was once common throughout all of Great Britain.[2] In southern England, it likely became
Its current distribution includes the
It lives in wooded habitats,Behaviour and ecology
Between March 1995 and April 1997, thirty-one Scottish wildcats were fitted with
The wildcats mainly prey on
Reproduction
Male Scottish wildcats reach sexual maturity at around 10 months of age and the female at an age of less than 12 months. A female had one
In the wild, mating occurs between January and March. Litter size varies from one to eight kittens, with a mean litter size of 4.3 young. Females rarely give birth in winter.[21] Kittens are born in a den, which is hidden within a cairn, among brush piles and under tree roots. They begin learning how to hunt at 10–12 weeks and are fully weaned by 14 weeks of age. They leave their mothers around six months of age. Kitten mortality during the winter of 1975−1978 was high; most starved.[18]
Captive Scottish wildcats have lived for 15 years, but the lifespan in the wild is much shorter due to road accidents and disease transmitted from feral domestic cats.[22]
Threats
Continued threats to the Scottish wildcat population include
An extended controversy in
Scottish wildcats have also often been killed to protect game bird species, and were once widely considered vermin.[27]
Conservation
The Scottish wildcat was given protected status under the
The Scottish Wildcat Conservation Action Plan was developed by the Scottish Wildcat Conservation Action Group, which set national action priorities and defined responsibilities of agencies and funding priorities for the group's conservation efforts between 2013 and 2019. Its implementation is coordinated by
By 2014, the project members had researched nine potential action areas, settling on six, which were considered as having the highest likelihood of conservation success, with work planned beginning in 2015:
In 2018, the official efforts fell under the auspices of Scottish Wildcat Action, a coalition including government and academic institutions, with an updated list of five priority areas: Strathbogie, the Angus Glens, Northern Strathspey, Morvern and Strathpeffer.[32] In 2019, a report for Scottish Wildcat Action found that the wildcat population in Scotland was no longer viable and the species was at the verge of extinction.[33]
In captivity
A captive breeding programme for the Scottish wildcat has been established in the frame of the Scottish Wildcat Conservation Action Plan, with wild-caught individuals that pass genetic and morphological tests to be considered wildcats with less than 5% hybridization.[29] Participating institutions include the Alladale Wilderness Reserve, Chester Zoo, British Wildlife Centre, Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, Highland Wildlife Park, New Forest Wildlife Park and Aigas Field Centre.[22]
This captive breeding programme has drawn criticism from the
Six kittens were born at the Highland Wildlife Park in 2015.[35] From 2011 to 2016, there have been 15 surviving Scottish wildcat kittens born at the Highland Wildlife Park.[36] As of December 2016, around 80 Scottish wildcats were in captivity.[37] In 2023, a license was approved by NatureScot to release captive-bred wildcats into the Cairngorms region during the summer of that year.[38] The first of 22 cats were released in early June 2023, with a further 40 expected to follow in 2024 and 2025.[39]
Conservation groups' political controversy
Within the conservation community, there are some political divides over proper actions and strategies. In 2014, the Scottish Wildcat Association and Wildcat Haven challenged the efforts of Scottish Natural Heritage.[40] In 2017, Scottish Wildcat Action, the official government organisation, defended itself from what it called unfair criticism by Wildcat Haven.[41]
In culture
The Scottish wildcat is traditionally an icon of the Scottish wilderness. The Scottish wildcat or Kellas cat is the likely inspiration of the mythological Scottish creature Cat-sìth.
Since the 13th century, it has been a symbol of Clan Chattan. Most of the members of Clan Chattan have the Scottish wildcat on their crest badges, and their motto is "Touch not the cat bot a glove", bot meaning 'without'. The motto is a reference to the ferocity of the Scottish wildcat. Clan Chattan has participated in Scottish wildcat conservation efforts since 2010.[10]
In 2010, as part of the International Year of Biodiversity, the Royal Mail issued a series of 10 stamps celebrating at-risk mammals, one of which depicted the Scottish wildcat.[42][43]
The Scottish wildcat was the subject of a documentary film titled The Tigers of Scotland that was issued in 2017, narrated by Scottish actor Iain Glen.[44]
In 2019, Scottish wildcats were the central theme of the first issue of the Journal of Matters Relating to Felines, a student-led general interest magazine produced at the University of Aberdeen.[45]
References
- ^ a b Kitchener, A.C.; Breitenmoser-Würsten, C.; Eizirik, E.; Gentry, A.; Werdelin, L.; Wilting, A.; Yamaguchi, N.; Abramov, A. V.; Christiansen, P.; Driscoll, C.; Duckworth, J. W.; Johnson, W.; Luo, S.-J.; Meijaard, E.; O'Donoghue, P.; Sanderson, J.; Seymour, K.; Bruford, M.; Groves, C.; Hoffmann, M.; Nowell, K.; Timmons, Z. & Tobe, S. (2017). "A revised taxonomy of the Felidae: The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group" (PDF). Cat News. Special Issue 11: 16–17.
- ^ a b c Easterbee, N.; Hepburn, L. V. & Jefferies, D. J. (1991). Survey of the status and distribution of the wildcat in Scotland, 1983–1987. Edinburg: Nature Conservancy Council for Scotland.
- ^ S2CID 2222200.
- ^ S2CID 56282550.
- ^ . Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- .
- ^ Miller, G. S. (1912). "Felis silvestris grampia Miller". Catalogue of the Mammals of Western Europe in the collection of the British Museum. London: British Museum (Natural History). pp. 464–465.
- ^ a b Pocock, R. I. (1951). "Felis silvestris grampia, Miller". Catalogue of the Genus Felis. London: Trustees of the British Museum. pp. 36–41.
- ^ ]
- ^ a b c Kilshaw, K. (2011). Scottish Wildcats: Naturally Scottish (PDF). Perth, Scotland: Scottish Natural Heritage. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
- .
- ISBN 978-0-85661-110-0.
- .
- ^ Balharry, D.; Daniels, M. J. (1998). Wild Living Cats in Scotland. Survey and Monitoring Report No. 23. Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Natural Heritage Publishing.
- ^ Davies, A. R. & Gray, D. (2010). The Distribution of Scottish Wildcats (Felis silvestris) in Scotland (2006–2008). Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 360. Inverness, UK: Scottish Natural Heritage Publishing.
- ^ ]
- .
- ^ a b c Corbett, L. K. (1979). Feeding ecology and social organization of wildcats (Felis silvestris) and domestic cats (Felis catus) in Scotland. Doctoral dissertation. Aberdeen: University of Aberdeen.
- CiteSeerX 10.1.1.704.4705.
- .
- S2CID 30879566.
- ^ .
- ^ Watson, J. (2018). "Wildcats 'not threatened' by wind farm expansion". The Times. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
- ^ Wylie, K. (2021). "Fears 'wildcat wonderland' would be doomed under plans to expand wind farm near Huntly". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
- S2CID 17690196.
- PMID 10073361.
- ^ Campbell, Roo (2017). "Shooting Scottish wildcats". scottishwildcataction.org. Scottish Wildcat Action. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
- ^ Aebischer, N.J.; Davey, P. D.; Kingdon, N.G. (2011). National Gamebag Census: Mammal Trends to 2009. Fordingbridge: Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust.
- ^ a b Scottish Wildcat Conservation Action Group (2013). Scottish Wildcat Conservation Action Plan. Edinburgh: Scottish Natural Heritage. Archived from the original on 31 July 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
- ^ Keane, K. (2017). "Feral cats neutered to protect rare Scottish wildcats". BBC News. London. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
- ^ "Six Scottish wildcat conservation areas identified". BBC News. 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
- ^ MacLennan, S. (2018). "Last chance to save the UK's most endangered carnivore - the Scottish wildcat". Press and Journal. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
- ^ Breitenmoser, U.; Lanz, T.; Breitenmoser-Würsten, C. (2019). "Conservation of the wildcat (Felis silvestris) in Scotland: Review of the conservation status and assessment of conservation activities" (PDF). Scottish Wildcat Conservation Action Plan Steering Group. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
- ^ "UK Zoos in controversy as plot to cage endangered Scottish wildcats is exposed". Captive Animals' Protection Society. 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
- ^ Barclay, D. (2016). "Scottish wildcat breeding programme – what, where and when?". The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
- ^ Barclay, D. (2016). "The journey of last year's litter of Scottish wildcat kittens". Scottish Wildcat Action. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
- ^ Barclay, D. (2016). "Scottish wildcat conservation breeding for release a lifeline for the species?". Scottish Wildcat Action. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
- ^ "Scottish wildcats to be released in Cairngorms". BBC News. 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
- ^ "Wildcats bred in captivity released into Cairngorms". BBC News. 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
- ^ McKenna, K. (2014). "Why the Scottish wildcat is threatened by its 'saviour'". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
- ^ Scottish Wildcat Action (2017). "Scottish Wildcat Action response to unfair criticism from Wildcat Haven". Scottish Wildcat Action. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
- ^ "Stamp celebrates Highland tiger". 13 April 2010. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- ^ "Mammals (Action for Species 4) (2010)". Collect GB Stamps. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- ^ Gater, L.; Stone, A. (2017). The Tigers of Scotland (Documentary). Wild Films Ltd.
- ^ "Journal of Matters Relating to Felines (Autumn 2019)". Retrieved 10 May 2021 – via Issuu.
External links
- Data related to Felis silvestris grampia at Wikispecies
- "Trailer: The Tigers Of Scotland". Wild Films. 18 November 2017.
- Brooks, Libby (2018). "Can Scotland save its wildcats from extinction?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
- Davies, C. (2016). "Hopes for saving Scottish wildcat rest on captive breeding plan". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
- "Wildcat Haven" - project using the trap–neuter–return approach to reduce feral domestic cat hybridization with the Scottish wildcat
- National Biodiversity Network/NBN Atlas historic wildcat sighting map (Note: Felis silvestris - not grampia subspecies)