The Corsican wildcat is an isolated cat population of uncertain taxonomic status that has been variously regarded as a separate species of its own (as ''Felis reyi''), a subspecies of the
African wildcat
The African wildcat (''Felis lybica'') is a small wildcat species with sandy grey fur, pale vertical stripes on the sides and around the face. It is native to Africa, West and Central Asia, and is distributed to Rajasthan in India and Xinjiang ...
(as ''Felis lybica reyi''), or a population of
feral house cats (''Felis catus'') that were introduced to
Corsica
Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...
around the beginning of the first millennium.
In 2019, several newspapers reported on the supposed discovery of the Corsican wildcat as a previously unknown cat species, calling it "cat-fox" (). As of 2021, a description for this animal as a potential new species was being drafted, and other research was ongoing.
History and taxonomy
In February 1929, M. Rey-Jouvin collected the skin and skull of a female wildcat from the Aunes forest at the border of the
Étang de Biguglia. In that same year, it was examined and described by
Louis Lavauden, who named it the
holotype
A holotype (Latin: ''holotypus'') is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of s ...
of the new species ''Felis reyi'', the Corsican wildcat. The specific name ''reyi'' honored M. Rey-Jouvin.
It was provisionally suggested to be a synonym of ''
Felis lybica sarda'' by
Reginald Innes Pocock
Reginald Innes Pocock, (4 March 1863 – 9 August 1947) was a British zoologist.
Pocock was born in Clifton, Bristol, the fourth son of Rev. Nicholas Pocock and Edith Prichard. He began showing interest in natural history at St. Edward's ...
who reviewed ''
Felis
''Felis'' is a genus of small and medium-sized cat species native to most of Africa and south of 60° latitude in Europe and Asia to Indochina. The genus includes the domestic cat. The smallest of the seven ''Felis'' species is the black-footed ...
'' skins in the collection of the
Natural History Museum, London
The Natural History Museum in London is a museum that exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history. It is one of three major museums on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, the others being the Science Museum (Lo ...
, but he admitted to not being able to review any specimens from Corsica himself, and based his suggestion off of Lavauden's description.
Following
zooarchaeological research in Corsica, it was regarded to have been introduced to the island during the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
, likely originating from
domestic cat
The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small Domestication, domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have sh ...
stock.
As of 2017, it was no longer considered a valid species or subspecies.
However, in January 2023, a scientific paper was published with results of
genetic testing
Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or ...
on Corsican wildcats, finding they were genetically distinct from both the
European wildcat
The European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') is a small wildcat species native to continental Europe, Great Britain, Turkey and the Caucasus. Its fur is brownish to grey with stripes on the forehead and on the sides and has a bushy tail with a bl ...
and domestic cat species.
Description
The Corsican wildcat was described as being darker than the African wildcat with a shorter tail and dark brown on the backs of the ears.
Further description detailed that the Corsican wildcat is approximately from head to tail. The front legs are striped, the hind legs are very dark brown, and the stomach fur is russet; the whole of the coat is dense and silky. The tail is the most distinctive: ringed and black-tipped.
In culture
The Corsican wildcat features in the local shepherds' folklore as forest cats who would attack the udders of their ewes and goats.
See also
*
Sardinian wildcat
*
Cretan wildcat
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2164563
Wildcats
Mammals described in 1929
Endemic fauna of Corsica