Iriomote cat

The fur of the Iriomote cat is mostly dark grey and light brown, with lighter hair on the belly and insides of the limbs. Markings along the jaw are white. Its tail is thick from base to tip and long. The anal glands of the Iriomote cat surround the anus; this contrasts with other cat species', where they are inside the anus. ==Distribution==

The Iriomote cat is endemic to the Japanese Iriomote Island, which spans about . Iriomote consists predominantly of low mountains ranging in elevation with subtropical evergreen forest, including extensive belts of mangrove along the waterways. It is the smallest habitat of any wild cat species in the world. The Iriomote cat lives predominantly in the subtropical forests that cover the island up to an elevation of . It prefers areas near rivers, forest edges, and places with low humidity. ==Ecology and behaviour==

Iriomote cats are terrestrial, but climb trees, go into the water and also swim. Iriomote cats are territorial. Mammalian prey includes black rats, Ryukyu flying foxes and young Ryukyu wild boar. Their prey also includes a wide range of birds, such as the Eastern spot-billed duck, slaty-legged crake, Eurasian scops-owl, pale thrush, and white-breasted waterhen. They are also known to hunt Sakishima rice frogs, yellow-spotted crickets and crabs. Outside the mating season the cats live in solitude, but when they begin breeding, they live together. The locations chosen for birthing and rearing are dry and have good ventilation. ==Discovery==

specimen at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo The Iriomote cat was discovered in 1965 by , an author who specialised in works about animals. In 1967, it was first described by Yoshinori Imaizumi, director of the zoological department of the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo. Prior to its scientific discovery, the Iriomote cat was known locally by various names: , . To distinguish between the Iriomote cat and other cats on the island, locals also gave other cats nicknames such as for stray cats and or for house cats. Others, however, believed that the Iriomote cat was a feral cat. In May 1965, prior to Togawa's return to the island, a group of children from on a field trip to the southern part of the island found a weakened, injured male Iriomote cat at the base of the small on . The teacher in charge of the children took the cat. Another teacher preserved the pelt in formalin and buried the skeleton in a wooden box behind the school. Togawa exhumed the remains, and this cat became the prototype for the species. The cats were then transferred to the museum for monitoring. The male died on 25 April 1973, and the female on 13 December 1975. The male's pelt was temporarily stuffed, the blood was sent off for chromosomal research, and the rest of the body was preserved in formaldehyde. The female was stuffed and put on display in the museum. In May 1967, The Mammalogical Society of Japan issued their third and fourth issues, announcing in English the discovery of a new genus of cat that was closely related to the primitive cat genus Metailurus. The former genus name of Mayailurus stems from the word used for "cat" on Iriomote, maya-, while -ailurus comes from Ancient Greek and also means "cat". The subspecies name of iriomotensis means "from Iriomote". The Japanese name of was proposed by Yoshinori Imaizumi, in honour of Togawa, who discovered the species, but Togawa turned down the request and instead supported the name based on the Tsushima cat, which was also named after the location at which it was discovered. Koura agreed with Togawa, thus officiating the name. ==Classification and genealogy==

Mayailurus iriomotensis was the scientific name proposed by in 1967 for the Iriomote cat. Imaizumi pointed out that, compared to other leopard cats, the Iriomote cat retained some especially primitive features. Judging from these characteristics, he estimated that the Iriomote cat evolved as a species sometime between ten million years ago in the Miocene epoch and three million years ago during the Pliocene epoch. He also thought that they shared many primitive characteristics with fossils of the extinct genus Metailurus. In contrast to Imaizumi's assertions about its unique characteristics, other researchers strongly disputed the idea that the Iriomote cat is its own species ever since its discovery. Investigations involving skulls and teeth, samples and living animals, and genetic research were conducted. The Iriomote cat's karyotype, the restriction fragment length of the ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and molecular phylogenetic analyses of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA and cytochrome b have proven to be identical, or nearly so, to the leopard cat's. The two cats are assumed to be extremely closely related, their differences being categorised as either intraspecies variations or individual mutations. Also, from the speed of cytochrome b's base-pair substitution and its diversity, it is estimated that the Iriomote cat diverged from the leopard cat around 180,000-200,000 years ago. According to marine geologists, the Ryukyu Islands were connected to mainland Asia via a land bridge from about 20,000 to 240,000 years ago. Scientists believe that the Iriomote cat moved its range to the islands during this period. ==Threats==

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. The government has successfully eliminated the stray cat population on Iriomote. The primary fear stems from house cats that have become feral or partially feral, but there has been no monitoring of these interactions. Pressure from competition over food, contact with house cats that have contracted feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and other contagious diseases, as well as decrease in population due to hybridisation are all important issues with the Iriomote cat. Because of the fears regarding transmission of the disease, starting in 2001, Taketomi Town enacted the Cat Breeding Ordinance which required all residents to register their pet cats. In June 2008, the ordinance was revised to include mandatory FIV testing and vaccinations, spaying and neutering, and microchipping. A new limit to the number of pets allowed per owner was also added. Furthermore, the cane toad, which secretes a poisonous liquid from glands in its ears, has also appeared on the island. In order to prevent further contamination of Iriomote, residents of Ishigaki Island began extermination measures in 2008. ==Conservation==

Status Since 2008, the Iriomote cat has been categorised as "critically endangered" by the IUCN. On 15 May 1972, along with the recovery of Okinawa, it was nationally recognised as a natural monument. On 15 March 1977, it was given special status amongst natural monuments, and in 1994 with the Species Protection Act, it was designated as a . This act was adopted on 28 January and enacted on 1 March. Projects and activities In 1977, Prince Philip wrote a letter addressed to Crown Prince Akihito regarding the preservation of the Iriomote cat. The report attached to the letter written by Professor Leyhausen suggested outlawing any further migration to the island, as well as banning the cultivation of the land. Despite these efforts, not enough land within the cats' preferred habitat of less than 200 m above sea level was included. In 1995 the was established to increase preservation work, enforce research, and to increase understanding of the cat's ecological needs. However, many residents have objected to restrictions on land cultivation and improvement brought about by the measures in place to protect the Iriomote cat and other species on the island. In captivity There have been a handful of Iriomote cats kept in captivity. A five-week-old male kitten that had been separated from its mother was found on 14 June 1979. He was named Keita and was kept at the Okinawa Zoo until he died of old age at approximately thirteen years and two months of age. Following the accident, he couldn't move on his own, but he regained his ability to walk while on Ishigaki. He was brought back to the Iriomote Wildlife Preservation Centre for rehabilitation on 31 August. Originally labelled W-48 since he was the forty-eighth confirmed sighting of an Iriomote cat on the western part of the island, he was eventually given the name Yon. Rehabilitation By 2 September, Yon weighed 1.9 kg. Despite his progress, his caretakers noticed a tendency for him to turn to the right because of the effects of his accident. From the beginning, Yon's caretakers took careful measures to avoid acclimation to humans so that one day he could be released back into the wild. Only three staff members were allowed to feed him directly. Other people, including centre staff, were only allowed to view him via video camera monitoring. The media were also prohibited from taking direct photographs. From the time he was discharged until 3 February 1999, Yon's rehabilitation was restricted to a room within the centre. Thin logs were used to make a jungle gym so that he would be able to practice walking, jumping, and climbing trees. Rice plants were also grown in his room as a substitute for grass that cats use to help regurgitate. Once he was healthy enough, he was moved to an outdoor cage where he lived until his health began deteriorating on 20 December 2010. Death On 20 December 2010, Yon was found to be curled up and unmoving near a dried stream. He was brought into the centre's rehabilitation room, where it was discovered that he had pulmonary edema, which had nearly killed him; however, he was able to eat by the next day and gradually got better. He was unable to walk for the remainder of December, though by the end of January he had regained this ability and, during February and March, he improved enough to be able to walk up and down stairs. However, his condition then took a turn for the worse, and he died on the night of 9 April at an estimated fifteen years and one month old. He weighed 3.5 kg and was 78.5 cm long. He is the oldest Iriomote cat on record. Influence on research Yon was the first Iriomote cat to be kept for an extended period of time, the only one to be saved after an accident, and the first to go through rehabilitation. Other Iriomote cats that were rescued either died immediately or shortly after being brought in for care. Though he was never returned to the wild, the recorded observations of Yon are extremely important regarding Iriomote cat preservation. Every day, records were taken including what he did at what time, weight, and anything else of note. Because of difficulties in researching Iriomote cats in the wild, observations of Yon are currently the best example of the cats' natural behaviour. There are also very few cases of the cats being cared for by people, so records of his health care may help injured and sick Iriomote cats in the future. ==In culture==

plane with livery representing Pikaryaa, the cat mascot In July 2010, the Taketomi Tourist Association invited residents to create a design for a local mascot. A Komi Elementary School sixth grader's design, which was based on the Iriomote cat, was chosen. The island of Iriomote is pictured on the mascot's chest. It was named in the same manner it was designed; in August 2010, the name was chosen based on the submission of an Ishigaki resident who drew inspiration from the local nickname of the cat, yamapikaryaa. The town of Taketomi initiated an "Iriomote Wild Cat Day" () in 2015. In July 2016, Taketomi signed a partnership with Tsushima based on their common endemic wild cats. Tsushima hosts the Tsushima cat, another leopard cat subspecies. The island also has several statues representing the Iriomote cat. In the south-east of the island, spanning across the Nakama River, the Nakama bridge is guarded on each side by two stone statues of the cat in various positions. And in 2017, the town of Taketomi revealed two new bronze statues, one in a rest area on the west coast of Iriomote Island, and the other at the beginning of a bridge in the North of the island. ==Yamapikaryaa==

In general, names such as yamapikaryaa are used in reference to the Iriomote cat, but some locals claim to have seen another type of cat on the island. It is described as being twice as large as a domestic cat, with a tail that is 60 cm long and a coat pattern that is different from what the Iriomote cat displays. It has been sighted several times. In 1965, Togawa spoke with a local hunter who claimed to have killed a large cat with fur like a tiger's. He disposed of the body, and Haemi on the southern part of the island, where the body was disposed of, was searched. , on the other hand, spoke with a hunter in 1994 who had the skull of what he believed was a large wild cat. Tadaaki Imaizumi determined that it was a house cat. == Notes ==