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Description
Inktober 2019

Instead of the official Inktober prompts, each day of October I will highlight a different underappreciated endangered species. These species are at risk of disappearing forever due to human activity, yet most people have never heard of them.

Day 26 - Andean Cat, Leopardus jacobita

IUCN Status: Endangered

Slightly larger than the average domestic cat, the Andean Cat is a small wild cat that lives in arid, rocky, high elevation habitat in the Andes. Their preferred habitat is highly fragmented, leading to low genetic diversity, and they are rarely sighted. Habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, and shrinking prey populations are the main reasons Andean Cat populations have declined. In some regions the Andean Cat is killed by humans as retaliation for perceived livestock predation, though there is little evidence the cats eat livestock. Over 90% of the Andean Cat's diet is viscacha, a rodent native to the Andes. In other regions, the Andean Cat is hunted as part of local cultural practice. Skins and dried specimens are kept for religious purposes. Deliberately killing Andean Cats is illegal in all four countries where the Andean Cat can be found (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru), but unfortunately still happens. There are fewer than 2,000 adult Andean Cats left in the wild.

Description
Inktober 2019

Instead of the official Inktober prompts, each day of October I will highlight a different underappreciated endangered species. These species are at risk of disappearing forever due to human activity, yet most people have never heard of them.

Day 26 - Andean Cat, Leopardus jacobita

IUCN Status: Endangered

Slightly larger than the average domestic cat, the Andean Cat is a small wild cat that lives in arid, rocky, high elevation habitat in the Andes. Their preferred habitat is highly fragmented, leading to low genetic diversity, and they are rarely sighted. Habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, and shrinking prey populations are the main reasons Andean Cat populations have declined. In some regions the Andean Cat is killed by humans as retaliation for perceived livestock predation, though there is little evidence the cats eat livestock. Over 90% of the Andean Cat's diet is viscacha, a rodent native to the Andes. In other regions, the Andean Cat is hunted as part of local cultural practice. Skins and dried specimens are kept for religious purposes. Deliberately killing Andean Cats is illegal in all four countries where the Andean Cat can be found (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru), but unfortunately still happens. There are fewer than 2,000 adult Andean Cats left in the wild.