Jungle cat: Difference between revisions

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==Subspecies==
==Subspecies==
[[File:FelisChausMunsiari1.jpg|thumb|''Felis chaus affinis'' ([[John Edward Gray|Gray]], 1830)]]
[[File:FelisChausMunsiari1.jpg|thumb|''Felis chaus affinis'' ([[John Edward Gray|Gray]], 1830)]]
When [[Johann Anton Güldenstädt]] travelled in the [[Caucasus]] during 1773-1775 at the behest of [[Catherine II of Russia]] to explore the [[Russia]]n empire's southern frontier <ref>Güldenstädt, J.A. (1787) ''Reisen durch Russland und im Caucasischen Gebürge''. Russisch-Kayserliche Akademie der Wissenschaften, St. Petersburg. ("Russian Imperial Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg") [http://books.google.com/books?id=xAcPAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=inauthor:g%C3%BCldenst%C3%A4dt&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&as_brr=0&hl=de#v=onepage&q=&f=false book preview]</ref>, he was the first [[naturalist]] to catch sight of a ''Kirmyschak''. In his first Latin description of 15 pages, published in 1776, he names the animal ''Chaus'' <ref>Güldenstädt, J.A. (1776) ''Chaus – Animal feli affine descriptum''. Commentarii Academiae Scientiarum Imperialis Petropolitanae, Vol 20, pp. 483</ref>&nbsp;<ref>Sanderson, J. (2009) ''A Matter of Very Little Moment? The mystery of who first described the jungle cat''. Feline Conservation Federation Volume 53, Issue 1 (January/February 2009): 12-18</ref> – a name retained for the cat by all subsequent zoologists. Today the trinomial ''Felis chaus chaus'' still refers to the jungle cat subspecies living in the Caucasus. Other subspecies distributed in the [[Orient]] and [[Asia]] have been proposed based largely on variation in external morphology.
When [[Johann Anton Güldenstädt]] travelled in the [[Caucasus]] during 1773-1775 at the behest of [[Catherine II of Russia]] to explore the [[Russia]]n empire's southern frontier <ref>Güldenstädt, J.A. (1787) ''Reisen durch Russland und im Caucasischen Gebürge''. Russisch-Kayserliche Akademie der Wissenschaften, St. Petersburg. ("Russian Imperial Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg") [http://books.google.com/books?id=xAcPAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=inauthor:g%C3%BCldenst%C3%A4dt&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&as_brr=0&hl=de#v=onepage&q=&f=false book preview]</ref>, he was the first [[naturalist]] to catch sight of a ''Kirmyschak''. In his first Latin description of 15 pages, published in 1776, he names the animal ''Chaus'' <ref>Güldenstädt, J.A. (1776) ''Chaus – Animal feli affine descriptum''. Commentarii Academiae Scientiarum Imperialis Petropolitanae, Vol 20, pp. 483</ref>&nbsp;<ref>Sanderson, J. (2009) ''A Matter of Very Little Moment? The mystery of who first described the jungle cat''. Feline Conservation Federation Volume 53, Issue 1 (January/February 2009): 12-18</ref> – a name retained for the cat by all subsequent zoologists. Today the trinomial [[''Felis chaus chaus'']] still refers to the jungle cat subspecies living in the Caucasus. Other subspecies distributed in the [[Orient]] and [[Asia]] have been proposed based largely on variation in external morphology.<br />
The subspecies recognized by the ''Integrated Taxonomic Information System'' are listed by year of first descriptions:

* ''[[Felis chaus affinis]]'', [[Kashmir]] to [[Sikkim]], [[Nepal]], [[Bhutan]], [[Yunnan]] and North-west [[Indochina]]
* ''[[Felis chaus affinis]]'' ([[John Edward Gray|Gray]], 1830) inhabits the [[Himalaya|Himalayan region]]
* ''[[Felis chaus kutas]]'' ([[J. T. Pearson|Pearson]], 1832) inhabits northern [[India]]
* ''[[Felis chaus furax]]'' ([[William Edward de Winton|de Winton]], 1898) inhabits [[Israel]] and [[Iraq]]
* ''[[Felis chaus fulvidina]]'', [[Thailand]], [[Myanmar]], [[Laos]], [[Cambodia]] and [[Vietnam]]
* ''[[Felis chaus fulvidina]]'', [[Thailand]], [[Myanmar]], [[Laos]], [[Cambodia]] and [[Vietnam]]
* ''[[Felis chaus furax]]''
* ''[[Felis chaus kelaarti]]'', [[Sri Lanka]]
* ''[[Felis chaus kelaarti]]'', [[Sri Lanka]]

* ''[[Felis chaus kutas]]'', western [[India]], [[Pakistan]]
* ''[[Felis chaus maimanah]]''
* ''[[Felis chaus maimanah]]''
* ''[[Felis chaus nilotica]]'', Northern Nile valley, [[Egypt]]
* ''[[Felis chaus nilotica]]'', Northern Nile valley, [[Egypt]]

Revision as of 16:03, 21 January 2010

Jungle Cat[1]
File:Felis Chaus.jpg
Jungle cat with its prey

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Carnivora
Family:
Felidae
Genus:
Felis
Species:
F. chaus
Binomial name
Felis chaus
Schreber, 1777

The jungle cat (Felis chaus), also called the swamp lynx (although not closely related to the lynxes), is a medium-small cat, today 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

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.

The most distinctive feature of a jungle cat are equal-sized claws on both fore and hind legs (unlike those of common domestic cats, for example, where hind claws are normally longer and stronger than fore), which allow it to climb down trees as easily as up, with its head facing downward. Jungle cats have also been noted to produce small roars on many defensive occasions, a behavior not common for domestic cats (who hiss or growl instead).

Jungle cats are diurnal and mostly hunt for rodents, frogs and birds. They can sometimes hunt for fish while diving, but mostly swim in order to lose track of their scent (as opposed to domesticated cats who usually groom).

Jungle cats are solitary in nature. Their habitat consists of other animals' abandoned burrows, tree holes and humid coves under swamp rocks. Their most common predators include crocodiles, bears, wolves and other bigger felines (such as tigers, for example). When countered by a threat, the jungle cat will vocalize before engaging in attack. It can jump on its attacker in some cases, but will usually retreat upon encountering larger threats. There have been known cases of jungle cats attacking curious humans near their habitat, however, their attack seems to pose no medical significance besides wound infection from clawing.

This species of cat is capable of being domesticated under certain conditions. Cat breeders were able to hybridize jungle cats with

domestic, producing such breeds as "chausie" and "jungle bob
". Their medium life expectancy in captivity is ten to twelve years. In the wild, however, some jungle cats were known to live for as long as twenty years.

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.[4]

Subspecies

Felis chaus affinis (Gray, 1830)

When

naturalist to catch sight of a Kirmyschak. In his first Latin description of 15 pages, published in 1776, he names the animal Chaus [6] [7] – a name retained for the cat by all subsequent zoologists. Today the trinomial ''Felis chaus chaus'' still refers to the jungle cat subspecies living in the Caucasus. Other subspecies distributed in the Orient and Asia
have been proposed based largely on variation in external morphology.
The subspecies recognized by the Integrated Taxonomic Information System are listed by year of first descriptions:

Status

Jungle cat, Uttarakhand, India

This species is often assessed as being in no danger and has therefore been ignored as a

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.

References

Wikispecies has information related to Felis chaus.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Felis chaus.
  1. OCLC 62265494
    .
  2. ^ Template:IUCN2008 Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
  3. ^ Jungle Cat
  4. ^ CSG Species Accounts: Jungle cat (Felis chaus)
  5. ^ Güldenstädt, J.A. (1787) Reisen durch Russland und im Caucasischen Gebürge. Russisch-Kayserliche Akademie der Wissenschaften, St. Petersburg. ("Russian Imperial Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg") book preview
  6. ^ Güldenstädt, J.A. (1776) Chaus – Animal feli affine descriptum. Commentarii Academiae Scientiarum Imperialis Petropolitanae, Vol 20, pp. 483
  7. ^ Sanderson, J. (2009) A Matter of Very Little Moment? The mystery of who first described the jungle cat. Feline Conservation Federation Volume 53, Issue 1 (January/February 2009): 12-18

External Links

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