Andean Mountain Cat (Leopardus jacobita)

Andean Mountain Cat (Leopardus jacobita)

It is one of only two felids for which no subspecies have been classically described. Fewer than 2500 individuals are thought to exist. It is one of the least known and rarest of all felines; almost all that is known about it comes from a few observations in the wild and from skins. There are none in captivity. It is believed to live only in the high Andesmountains of Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.

There has been a substantial increase in research effort on the Andean Mountain Cat since Nowell and Jackson wrote that “it is not clear whether [its] apparent rarity is a natural phenomenon, is attributable to human actions, or is simply a misperception resulting from lack of observations.” Surveys since then have confirmed that the Andean cat is a rare species. Prior to 1998, the only evidence of this cat’s existence was two photographs…