Andean Wild Cat

Today, I will be looking at 2 species beginning with the Andean Mountain Cat (Leopardus jacobita).

The Andean Mountain Cat is rare and lives at high altitudes on the Andes Mountain range.

It lives on the mountain from Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.

    The Andean Mountain Cat has a silver/grey coat, white belly, and spots and stripes. Its tail and limbs are adorned with black rings. Although no bigger than a house cat  the Andean Mountain Cat has much more fur and a considerably longer tail (almost 2 feet in length). This cat is on then endangered species list due to many factors the most prominent is Habitat loss/degradation. Other reasons include hunting, reduction of prey, and hybridization. The countries in which this rare cat dwells have put conservation measures in effect which include fines/jail time for hunting these beautiful cats. For                    more information visit Wildlife Conservation Network