Andean mountain cat

The Andean mountain cat has ashy-gray fur, a grey head, and rounded ears. The nose and lips are black, and the areas around them are white; two dark brown lines run from the corners of the eyes across the cheeks. There are black spots on the forelegs, yellowish-brown blotches on the flanks, and up to two narrow, dark rings on the hind limbs. The long, bushy tail has six to nine rings, which are dark brown to black. The markings of juveniles are darker and smaller than those of adults. The skulls of adult specimens range in length from and are larger than those of the pampas cat and domestic cat. On the back and the tail, the hair is long. Its rounded footprints are long and wide. Its pads are covered with hair. Adult individuals range from in head-to-body length with a long tail, a shoulder height of about and a body weight of up to . ==Distribution and habitat==

The Andean mountain cat lives only at high elevations in the Andes. Records in Argentina indicate that it lives at elevations from in the southern Andes to over in Chile, Bolivia and central Peru. This terrain is arid, sparsely vegetated, rocky and steep showing that the Andean Mountain Cat prefers a temperate and terrestrial habitat. The population in the Salar de Surire Natural Monument was estimated at five individuals in an area of . Deep valleys fragment its habitat in the Andes, and its preferred prey, mountain viscachas (Lagidium), occurs in patchy colonies. Across this range, the level of genetic diversity is very low. == Behavior and ecology ==

The Andean cat is sympatric with the pampas cat and the cougar. The viscacha comprises 93.9% of the biomass consumed in the Andean cat's diet, while the pampas cat depends on it for 74.8%. Other prey and food groups include small reptiles, birds, and other small mammals, such as tuco-tuco. They also hunt frequently during the same periods. During one study, both the Andean cat and the pampas cat were seen most frequently during moonless nights; the second most sightings of these cats were during full moons. Based on residents' observations of Andean cats in coupled pairs with their litters, it is thought that the mating season is in July and August. Due to kittens being seen in April and October, the mating season could extend into November or December, although not much information is known about their breeding habits. A litter usually consists of one or two offspring born in the spring and summer months. This is also common in other species that have their young when food resources are increasing, which can influence the survival rate of the young. ==Threats and conservation==

Such factors as habitat loss and degradation, hunting, and disease threaten the Andean cat. The Andean Cat is listed on the IUCN Red List, the US Federal List, and the CITES Appendix I. The Andean Cat Alliance was formed in 2003 by representatives from Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, and Chile to foster research and conservation of the Andean cat. ==References==