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* ''[[Felis chaus nilotica]]'' ([[William Edward de Winton|de Winton]], 1898) − inhabits [[Egypt]];<ref name=ems1966/>
* ''[[Felis chaus nilotica]]'' ([[William Edward de Winton|de Winton]], 1898) − inhabits [[Egypt]];<ref name=ems1966/>
* ''[[Felis chaus furax]]'' ([[William Edward de Winton|de Winton]], 1898) − inhabits [[Palestine]], southern [[Syria]], and [[Iraq]];<ref name=ems1966/>
* ''[[Felis chaus furax]]'' ([[William Edward de Winton|de Winton]], 1898) − inhabits [[Palestine]], southern [[Syria]], and [[Iraq]];<ref name=ems1966/>
* ''[[Felis chaus maimanah]]'' ([[Ludwig Zukowsky|Zukowsky]], 1914) − was first described from [[Maymana|Maimanah]] in northern [[Afghanistan]] and inhabits the region south of the [[Amu Darya River]];<ref>Zukowsky, L. (1914) Drei neue Kleinkatzenrassen aus Westasien: [http://archive.org/stream/archivfurgeschic8012berl#page/n329/mode/2up Felis (Felis) maimanah spec. nov.] Archiv Für Naturgeschichte 80 (10): 139−142.</ref>
* ''[[Felis chaus maimanah]]'' ([[Ludwig Zukowsky|Zukowsky]], 1914) − was first described from [[Maymana|Maimanah]] in northern [[Afghanistan]] and inhabits the region south of the [[Amu Darya River]];<ref name=Zukowsky1914>Zukowsky, L. (1914) Drei neue Kleinkatzenrassen aus Westasien: [http://archive.org/stream/archivfurgeschic8012berl#page/n329/mode/2up Felis (Felis) maimanah spec. nov.] Archiv Für Naturgeschichte 80 (10): 139−142.</ref>
* ''[[Felis chaus fulvidina]]'' ([[Oldfield Thomas|Thomas]], 1929) − inhabits [[Southeast Asia]] ranging from [[Myanmar]] and [[Thailand]] to [[Laos]], [[Cambodia]] and [[Vietnam]];<ref name=ems1966/>
* ''[[Felis chaus fulvidina]]'' ([[Oldfield Thomas|Thomas]], 1929) − inhabits [[Southeast Asia]] ranging from [[Myanmar]] and [[Thailand]] to [[Laos]], [[Cambodia]] and [[Vietnam]];<ref name=ems1966/>
* ''[[Felis chaus prateri]]'' ([[Reginald Innes Pocock|Pocock]], 1939) − inhabits western [[India]] and [[Sindh]];<ref name=ems1966/>
* ''[[Felis chaus prateri]]'' ([[Reginald Innes Pocock|Pocock]], 1939) − inhabits western [[India]] and [[Sindh]];<ref name=ems1966/>
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In 1898, the British zoologist [[William Edward de Winton|de Winton]] examined the collection of jungle cat skins in the [[British Museum]] and revised taxonomic assessments of the jungle cat group. He proposed to subordinate the specimens from the Caucasus, Persia and [[Turkestan]] to ''Felis chaus typica'', and regrouped the lighter built specimens from the Indian subcontinent to ''Felis chaus affinis''. He renamed the Egyptian jungle cat ''Felis chaus nilotica'' as the name ''Felis Rüppelii'' was already applied to a different cat. A single skin collected near [[Jericho]] in 1864 prompted him to describe the new subspecies ''Felis chaus furax'' as this skin was smaller than other Egyptian jungle cat skins.<ref>De Winton, W. E. (1898) [http://archive.org/stream/annalsmagazineof721898lond#page/290/mode/2up ''Felis chaus'' and its Allies, with Descriptions of new Subspecies.] The Annals and Magazine of natural history, including zoology, botany, and geology. Seventh Series, Vol. II: 291–294.</ref> A few years later, the German zoologist [[Alfred Nehring|Nehring]] also described a jungle cat skin collected in [[Palestine]], which he named “swamp lynx” ''Lynx chrysomelanotis''.<ref>Nehring, A. (1902) Über einen neuen Sumpfluchs (''Lynx chrysomelanotis'') aus Palästina. Schriften der Berlinischen Gesellschaft naturforschender Freunde, Jahrgang 1902 Nr. 6: 124–128.</ref>
In 1898, the British zoologist [[William Edward de Winton|de Winton]] examined the collection of jungle cat skins in the [[British Museum]] and revised taxonomic assessments of the jungle cat group. He proposed to subordinate the specimens from the Caucasus, Persia and [[Turkestan]] to ''Felis chaus typica'', and regrouped the lighter built specimens from the Indian subcontinent to ''Felis chaus affinis''. He renamed the Egyptian jungle cat ''Felis chaus nilotica'' as the name ''Felis Rüppelii'' was already applied to a different cat. A single skin collected near [[Jericho]] in 1864 prompted him to describe the new subspecies ''Felis chaus furax'' as this skin was smaller than other Egyptian jungle cat skins.<ref>De Winton, W. E. (1898) [http://archive.org/stream/annalsmagazineof721898lond#page/290/mode/2up ''Felis chaus'' and its Allies, with Descriptions of new Subspecies.] The Annals and Magazine of natural history, including zoology, botany, and geology. Seventh Series, Vol. II: 291–294.</ref> A few years later, the German zoologist [[Alfred Nehring|Nehring]] also described a jungle cat skin collected in [[Palestine]], which he named “swamp lynx” ''Lynx chrysomelanotis''.<ref>Nehring, A. (1902) Über einen neuen Sumpfluchs (''Lynx chrysomelanotis'') aus Palästina. Schriften der Berlinischen Gesellschaft naturforschender Freunde, Jahrgang 1902 Nr. 6: 124–128.</ref>

In the 1880s, mammal skins were collected during an expedition to Afghanistan and presented to the [[Indian Museum]]. One cat skin without skull from the area of Maimanah was initially identified as of ''Felis caudata'', but in the absence of skins for comparison the author was not sure whether his identification is correct.<ref>Scully, J. (1887) [http://archive.org/stream/annalsmagazineof5201887lond#page/378/mode/2up On the mammals collected by Captain C. E. Yate, C.S.I., of the Afghan Boundary Commission.] The Annals and Magazine of natural history, including zoology, botany, and geology. Fifth Series, Vol. XX: 378–388.</ref> In his revision of [[Asiatic Wildcat|Asian wildcat]] skins collected in the [[Museum für Naturkunde|Zoological Museum of Berlin]], the German zoologist Zukowsky reassessed the Maimanah cat skin, and because of its larger size and shorter tail than ''caudata'' skins proposed a new species with the name ''Felis (Felis) maimanah''.<ref name=Zukowsky1914/>


[[Reginald Innes Pocock|Pocock]] subordinated the specimens from [[British India]]’s north-western regions to ''Felis chaus affinis'' in 1939.<ref name= Pocock1939>Pocock, R. I. (1939) [http://www.archive.org/stream/PocockMammalia1/pocock1#page/n365/mode/2up ''The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Mammalia. – Volume 1'']. Taylor and Francis Ltd., London. Pages 290–305.</ref>
[[Reginald Innes Pocock|Pocock]] subordinated the specimens from [[British India]]’s north-western regions to ''Felis chaus affinis'' in 1939.<ref name= Pocock1939>Pocock, R. I. (1939) [http://www.archive.org/stream/PocockMammalia1/pocock1#page/n365/mode/2up ''The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Mammalia. – Volume 1'']. Taylor and Francis Ltd., London. Pages 290–305.</ref>

Revision as of 16:49, 17 November 2012

Jungle cat[1]
Felis chaus affinis

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
Jungle cat range

The jungle cat (Felis chaus) is a medium-sized

southwestern, Central and Southeast Asia.[2]

Geographic variation in the jungle cat is quite considerable. Due to the small tuft on the ears it is also called the jungle lynx but is not a member of the Lynx genus.[3]

Characteristics

Skull of Felis chaus nilotica

Sometimes more than twice as heavy as

Bergmann's Rule, the species becomes smaller-bodied closer to the tropics and largest at the northern limits of the range. Jungle cats can range from 50 to 94 cm (20 to 37 in) in length, plus a relatively short 20 to 31 cm (7.9 to 12.2 in) tail, and stand about 36 cm (14 in) tall. Weight varies across the range from 3 to 16 kg (6.6 to 35.3 lb), with a median weight of around 8 kg (18 lb). Females are slightly smaller than males.[4] The face is relatively slender. Because of its long legs and short tail, and (in winter[5]) a tuft of black hair on its ears, this cat resembles a small lynx. The colour of the fur varies with subspecies, yellowish-grey to reddish-brown or tawny-grey, and is ticked with black. Vertical bars are visible on the fur of kittens, which disappear in adult cats, although a few dark markings may be retained on the limbs or tail. The muzzle is white, and the underside is paler in color than the rest of the body.[6]

The skull is fairly broad in the region of the zygomatic arch, which leads to its appearance of having a rounder head than some other cats. The ears are quite long, and relatively broad at the base, pointed towards the end, and set quite high. Small tuft of long hairs occurs on ear tips in winter. These hairs form an indistinct tassel ranging from 7 to 20 mm (0.28 to 0.79 in) in length. The fur grows to about 4000 hairs/cm² on the back, and 1700 hairs/cm² on the abdomen, and generally becomes a shade of grayish-ochre in winter. The pawprints measure about 5×6 cm, and a typical pace is 29 to 32 cm (11 to 13 in).[3]

The most distinctive feature of a jungle cat is the presence of 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). These allow it to climb down trees as easily as up, with its head facing downward.[citation needed]

Distribution and habitat

Jungle cats are largely oriental in distribution and found in Egypt, West and Central Asia, but also in South Asia, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. In India they are the most common small cats among the felidae found there.[7]

They inhabit

reedbeds along rivers and lakes in the lowlands, but, despite the name, are not found in rainforests. Although they are adaptable animals, being found even in dry steppe, they prefer wetland environments with tall grasses or reeds in which to hide. They do not survive well in cold climates, and are not found in areas where winter snowfall is common.[6] They have been observed from sea levels to altitudes of 8,000 ft (2,400 m) or perhaps higher in the Himalayas. They frequent jungles or open country, and are often seen in the neighborhood of villages.[8]

Jungle cats were known to be absent from south of the

Malayan peninsula, the possibility of their occurrence was reported from a highly fragmented forest in the Malaysian state of Selangor in 2010.[9]

Although never truly domesticated, a small number of jungle cats have been found among the

cat mummies of Ancient Egypt (the vast majority of which are domestic cats), suggesting that they may have been used to help control rodent populations.[6]

Distribution of subspecies

When

Catherine II of Russia, he was the first naturalist to catch sight of a Kirmyschak in the Caucasus.[10] In his Latin description of 15 pages, published in 1776, he names the animal Chaus – a name retained for the cat by all subsequent zoologists.[11][12]

Today, the trinomial

Baluchistan and Yarkand, Chinese Turkestan.[13] The other recognized subspecies are listed by year of first description:[1]

Ecology and behavior

Jungle cats are solitary in nature. They rest in other animals' abandoned burrows, tree holes, and humid coves under swamp rocks, or in areas of dense vegetation. Although often active at night, they are less

scent marking.[6]

Jungle cats can climb trees. Like most cats, they utilize not only sight and hearing while hunting, but also their sense of smell. While running, they tend to sway from side to side. They mostly hunt for rodents, frogs, birds, hares, squirrels, juvenile wild pigs, as well as various reptiles, including turtles and snakes. Near human settlements, they feed on domestic chickens and ducks. They catch fish while diving, but mostly swim in order to disguise their scent trails, or to escape threats, such as dogs or humans. They are generally hard to tame, even if taken into captivity at a young age.[3] Like most other cats, they hunt by stalking and ambushing their prey, and they use reeds or tall grass as cover. They are adept at leaping, and sometimes attempt to catch birds in flight. Although they can run at up to 32 kilometres per hour (20 mph), they rarely pursue prey that escapes their initial pounce.[6]

The jungle cat's main competitors are the jackal and forest cat. Their most common predators include crocodiles, bears, wolves, and other larger felines such as tigers. When countered by a threat, the jungle cat will vocalize before engaging in attack, producing small roars, a behavior uncommon for domestic cats. The meow of the jungle cat is also somewhat lower than that of a typical domestic cat.[3] In some cases, they jump on their attacker, but will usually retreat upon encountering larger threats. There have been known cases of jungle cats attacking curious humans near their habitat, but their attack seems to pose no medical significance besides wound infection from clawing.

They have been observed to be capable of swimming as much as 1.5 km at a time.[15]

Reproduction

Munsiyari
, Uttarakhand, India

Females are

estrus appears to last from January through to mid-April. In males, spermatogenesis occurs mainly in February and March. In southern Turkmenistan, mating occurs in January to early February. Females give birth to litters of three to five kittens, usually only three. They sometimes raise two litters in a year.[3]

Gestation lasts 63–66 days and is remarkably short for an animal of this size. Birth generally takes place between December and June, depending on the local climate, although females can sometimes give birth to two litters in a year. Before birth, the mother prepares a den in an abandoned animal burrow, hollow tree, or reed bed.[6]

Kittens weigh 43 to 160 grams (1.5 to 5.6 oz) at birth, tending to be much smaller in the wild than in captivity. Initially blind and helpless, they open their eyes at ten to thirteen days of age, and are fully weaned by around three months. Males usually do not participate in the raising of kittens, but in captivity have been observed to be very protective of their offspring, more than the females, or males of other cat species. Kittens begin to catch their own prey at around six months, and leave the mother after eight or nine months.[16]

The jungle cat's median life expectancy in captivity is ten to twelve years. In the wild, however, some jungle cats have been known to live for as long as twenty years.[citation needed]

Threats

Jungle cat, Uttarakhand, India

Some populations of jungle cat subspecies are declining in several countries and areas:

Conservation

Felis chaus is listed on

CITES Appendix II. Hunting is prohibited in Bangladesh, China, India, Israel, Myanmar, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Thailand, and Turkey, but does not receive legal protection outside protected areas in Bhutan, Georgia, Laos, Lebanon, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.[24]

Taxonomic history

Subsequent to Güldenstädt’s first description of Felis chaus, various naturalists published descriptions of jungle cat skins from west and further southeast of the Caucasus between 1811 and 1939.

Terek River through northern Persia up to the Aral Sea.[25]
In the 1820s the German explorer Rüppell collected a female Felis Chaus near Lake Manzala in the Nile Delta.[26] But only in 1832, Brandt recognized the distinctness of the Egyptian jungle cat and proposed the name Felis Rüppelii.[27]

Dehra Dun in northern India under the name Felis jacquemontii in reminiscence of the French explorer Victor Jacquemont.[31] Also Blanford pointed out the lynx-like appearance of cat skins and skulls from the plains around Yarkand and Kashgar when he described Felis Shawiana in 1876.[32]

In 1898, the British zoologist de Winton examined the collection of jungle cat skins in the British Museum and revised taxonomic assessments of the jungle cat group. He proposed to subordinate the specimens from the Caucasus, Persia and Turkestan to Felis chaus typica, and regrouped the lighter built specimens from the Indian subcontinent to Felis chaus affinis. He renamed the Egyptian jungle cat Felis chaus nilotica as the name Felis Rüppelii was already applied to a different cat. A single skin collected near Jericho in 1864 prompted him to describe the new subspecies Felis chaus furax as this skin was smaller than other Egyptian jungle cat skins.[33] A few years later, the German zoologist Nehring also described a jungle cat skin collected in Palestine, which he named “swamp lynx” Lynx chrysomelanotis.[34]

In the 1880s, mammal skins were collected during an expedition to Afghanistan and presented to the

Zoological Museum of Berlin, the German zoologist Zukowsky reassessed the Maimanah cat skin, and because of its larger size and shorter tail than caudata skins proposed a new species with the name Felis (Felis) maimanah.[14]

British India’s north-western regions to Felis chaus affinis in 1939.[36]

Hybrids

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

pixie bob
).

References

  1. ^
    OCLC 62265494
    .
  2. ^ a b Template:IUCN
  3. ^ a b c d e f Geptner, V. G., Sludskii, A. A. (1972). Mlekopitaiuščie Sovetskogo Soiuza. Vysšaia Škola, Moskva (in Russian); English translation: Heptner, V.G., Sludskii, A.A., Komarov, A., Komorov, N.; Hoffmann, R.S. (1992). Mammals of the Soviet Union. Vol III: Carnivores (Feloidea). Smithsonian Institute and the National Science Foundation, Washington DC. pp. 356–397.
  4. ^ Burnie, D. and Wilson, D. E. (2001) Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's Wildlife. Dorling Kindersley, London. ISBN 0789477645
  5. ISBN 9789004088764. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help
    )
  6. ^
    ISBN 0-226-77999-8
    .
  7. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.2007.00838.x.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  8. ^ Blanford, W. T. (1888–91) The fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Volume I, Mammalia. Taylor and Francis, London.
  9. ^ Sanei, A., Zakaria, M. (2010). "Possible first jungle cat record from Malaysia". Cat News. 53: 13–14.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ 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")
  11. ^ Güldenstädt, J.A. (1776) Chaus – Animal feli adfine descriptum. Commentarii Academiae Scientiarum Imperialis Petropolitanae, Vol 20, St. Petersburg. p. 483
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i Ellerman, J. R. and Morrison-Scott, T. C. S. (1966). Checklist of Palaearctic and Indian mammals 1758 to 1946. Second edition. British Museum of Natural History, London. Pp. 306–307.
  14. ^ a b Zukowsky, L. (1914) Drei neue Kleinkatzenrassen aus Westasien: Felis (Felis) maimanah spec. nov. Archiv Für Naturgeschichte 80 (10): 139−142.
  15. ISBN 978-1-77007-063-9. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthor= ignored (|author= suggested) (help
    )
  16. ^ Schauenberg, P. (1979). 'La réproduction du chat des marais, Felis chaus (Güldenstadt, 1776). Mammalia 43(2): 215–223.
  17. ^ Prisazhnyuk, B. E., Belousova, A. E. (2007) Красная Книга России: Кавкаэский Камышовый Кот Felis chaus (подвид chaus) online in Russian
  18. ^ IUCN. (2007) European Mammal Assessment. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.
  19. ^ Lekagul, B., McNeely, J.A. (1988) Mammals of Thailand. 2nd ed. Saha Karn Bhaet, Bangkok.
  20. ^ Lynam, A.J., Round, P., Brockelman, W.Y. (2006) Status of birds and large mammals of the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex, Thailand. Biodiversity Research and Training Program and Wildlife Conservation Society, Bangkok, Thailand.
  21. doi:10.1007/s10531-004-1653-4.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  22. ^ Abu-Baker, M., Nassar, K., Rifai, L., Qarqaz, M., Al-Melhim, W., Amr, Z. (2003). "On the current status and distribution of the Jungle Cat, Felis chaus, in Jordan (Mammalia: Carnivora)" (PDF). Zoology in the Middle East. 30: 5–10.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ Habibi, K. (2003) Mammals of Afghanistan. Zoo Outreach Organisation with assistance from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Coimbatore, India.
  24. ^ Nowell, K. and Jackson, P. (1996). Jungle Cat Felis chaus. in: Wild Cats. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.
  25. ^ Pallas, P. S. (1811) Felis Catolynx. Page 23–25 in: Zoographia Rosso-Asiatica. Tomus primus: Lactantia. Edit. MDCCCXXXI. In officina Caes. Acadamiae Scientiarum Impress., Petropoli. See also Illustration
  26. ^ Rüppell, E. (1826) Atlas zu der Reise im nördlichen Afrika. Erste Abtheilung: Zoologie. Senckenbergische Naturforschende Gesellschaft, Frankfurt am Main.
  27. ^ Brandt, J. F. (1832) De nova generis Felis specie, Felis Rüppelii nomine designanda hucusque vero cum Fele Chau confusa. Bulletin de la Société impériale des naturalistes de Moscou, Vol. 4: 209–213.
  28. ^ Gray, J. E. (1830-1832) Illustrations of Indian Zoology; chiefly selected from the collection of Major-General Hardwicke. Vol. 1. Treuttel, Wurtz, Treuttel, jun. and Richter, London, Paris, Strasbourg.
  29. ^ Pearson, J. T. (1832) A stuffed specimen of a species of Felis, native of the Midnapure jungles. The Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Vol. I: 75.
  30. ^ Hodgson, B. H. (1836) Synoptical Description of Sundry New Animals, enumerated in the Catalogue of Nipalese Mammals. The Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Vol. V: 231–238.
  31. ^ Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, I. (1844) Felis jacquemontii. Plate 2 in: Guizot, F. Voyage dans l'Inde, par Victor Jacquemont, pendant les années 1828 à 1832. Atlas. Tome Seconde. Firmin Didot Frères, Paris.
  32. ^ Blanford, W. T. (1876) Description of Felis Shawiana, a new Lyncine cat from Eastern Turkestan. The Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Vol. 45, Part 2: 49–51.
  33. ^ De Winton, W. E. (1898) Felis chaus and its Allies, with Descriptions of new Subspecies. The Annals and Magazine of natural history, including zoology, botany, and geology. Seventh Series, Vol. II: 291–294.
  34. ^ Nehring, A. (1902) Über einen neuen Sumpfluchs (Lynx chrysomelanotis) aus Palästina. Schriften der Berlinischen Gesellschaft naturforschender Freunde, Jahrgang 1902 Nr. 6: 124–128.
  35. ^ Scully, J. (1887) On the mammals collected by Captain C. E. Yate, C.S.I., of the Afghan Boundary Commission. The Annals and Magazine of natural history, including zoology, botany, and geology. Fifth Series, Vol. XX: 378–388.
  36. ^ Pocock, R. I. (1939) The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Mammalia. – Volume 1. Taylor and Francis Ltd., London. Pages 290–305.

External links

Wikispecies has information related to Felis chaus.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Felis chaus.

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