The Iriomote cat is a small wild cat found only on Iriomote, a subtropical island of about 290 square kilometres in southern Japan. It is treated as a subspecies of the leopard cat, Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis, and it was discovered in 1965 by the animal author Yukio Togawa and first described scientifically in 1967 by Yoshinori Imaizumi. Males reach roughly 3.5 to 5 kilograms and females about 3 to 3.5 kilograms, with dark brown tabby spots on a grey and light brown coat, a thick tail and short, heavy limbs. It is nocturnal and especially active at twilight, hunts a very wide range of birds, small mammals, reptiles, frogs, fish and crabs, and rests by day in tree hollows or caves. The IUCN has listed it as critically endangered since 2008. Its single population holds fewer than 250 adults and is declining, hurt by habitat loss, road traffic, traps, and competition and disease from house cats.
Facts
Classification
Population Trend System (Realm) ThreatsResidential and Commercial Development 1 ThreatsTransportation and Service Corridors 1 ThreatsInvasive and Other Problematic Species, Genes and Diseases 1 Living or Extinct Conservation Status Activity Pattern Activity Pattern Connections
Child Taxon Of
Source Iriomote cat (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Iriomote cat (Wikipedia)Lead, where it livesQuote, Lead, where it lives
lives exclusively on the Japanese island of Iriomote.
Sources
1. Iriomote cat (Wikipedia)
Lead
It has been listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2008
Lead, population trend
the only population comprises fewer than 250 adult individuals, and is considered declining.
Ecology and behaviour, Diet
Iriomote cats are carnivorous and prey on various mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and crustaceans.
Ecology and behaviour, twilight
They are nocturnal and especially active during twilight hours.
Lead, living
lives exclusively on the Japanese island of Iriomote.
Ecology and behaviour, terrestrial
Iriomote cats are terrestrial, but climb trees, go into the water and also swim.
Threats, traffic accidents
Destruction of habitat due to development, predation by dogs, traffic accidents, and traps set for wild boar and crabs all contribute to the decline in number of Iriomote cats.
Threats, house cats
House cats and especially stray cats cause issues with competition, disease transmission, and genetic pollution due to hybridisation between the two species.
Lead, where it lives
lives exclusively on the Japanese island of Iriomote.
Child Taxon Of: Prionailurus, Classification and genealogy
it was subordinated under the genus Prionailurus as Prionailurus iriomotensis in 2005.
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