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The Iriomote cat (''Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis'') is a
subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics ( morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all specie ...
of the
leopard cat The leopard cat (''Prionailurus bengalensis'') is a small wild cat native to continental South, Southeast, and East Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List as it is widely distributed although threatened by hab ...
that lives exclusively on the
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
ese island of
Iriomote is the largest of the Yaeyama Islands of Japan, and the second largest in Okinawa Prefecture after Okinawa Island itself. The island has an area of and a 2005 population of 2,347. The island does not have an airstrip, and most visitors — ...
. It has been listed as critically endangered on the
IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biolo ...
since 2008, as the only population comprises fewer than 250 adult individuals and is considered declining. As of 2007, there were an estimated 100–109 individuals remaining. In
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
, it is called . In local dialects of the
Yaeyama language The Yaeyama language (, ''Yaimamuni'') is a Southern Ryukyuan language spoken in the Yaeyama Islands, the southernmost inhabited island group in Japan, with a combined population of about 53,000. The Yaeyama Islands are situated in the Southern ...
, it is known as , , and .今泉(1994), Pp.8–13, Pp. 144-147戸川(1972), Pp.13–92


Description

The fur of the Iriomote cat is mostly dark gray and light brown, with lighter hair on the belly and insides of the limbs. Hair along the jaw is white. There are two dark brown spots on each cheek. There are 5–7 stripes spanning from the forehead to the back of the head, but, unlike the leopard cat, the stripes stop before reaching the shoulders. Dark brown spots cover the sides of the body, and there are 3–4 bands of irregular stripes on the chest. The tail is dark brown; darker spots pattern the back side of the tail while the underside of the tail is solid. The tip of the tail is dark. The tips of the ears are rounded, with black hair along the edge. There are no tufts of longer hair on the top of the ears. Adult Iriomote cats have a white spot on the back of each ear, much like those found on
tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living Felidae, cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily pr ...
s' ears. Young Iriomote cats do not have these marks, and even as adults the spots will not be as white as those seen on other leopard cat subspecies. The Iriomote cat's eyes are a light amber color. Its nose is large and flat, with no fur covering the reddish-brown skin. The paw ranges from wide, in contrast to the wide paw of a
domestic cat The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members o ...
. The skull is longer and more narrow than that of a domestic cat. When compared to the leopard cat's skull, the Iriomote cat's is roughly the same size but thicker. Because of this, the Iriomote cat's brain is smaller; a male leopard cat's brain is about 42 grams, whereas a male Iriomote cat's brain is about 30 grams. The
occipital bone The occipital bone () is a cranial dermal bone and the main bone of the occiput (back and lower part of the skull). It is trapezoidal in shape and curved on itself like a shallow dish. The occipital bone overlies the occipital lobes of the cer ...
of the skull and the auditory capsule are not connected. The
mandibular symphysis In human anatomy, the facial skeleton of the skull the external surface of the mandible is marked in the median line by a faint ridge, indicating the mandibular symphysis (Latin: ''symphysis menti'') or line of junction where the two lateral halve ...
is short. Male Iriomote cats grow to be long and weigh . Females are smaller at about long and . Its tail is thick from base to tip and long. It has a long body and short, thick limbs. Its neck is also thick, and its shoulders are muscular, though its jumping power is comparatively weak. The Iriomote cat has six pairs of
incisors Incisors (from Latin ''incidere'', "to cut") are the front teeth present in most mammals. They are located in the premaxilla above and on the mandible below. Humans have a total of eight (two on each side, top and bottom). Opossums have 18, wher ...
, two pairs of
canine teeth In mammalian oral anatomy, the canine teeth, also called cuspids, dog teeth, or (in the context of the upper jaw) fangs, eye teeth, vampire teeth, or vampire fangs, are the relatively long, pointed teeth. They can appear more flattened howeve ...
, four pairs of
premolars The premolars, also called premolar teeth, or bicuspids, are transitional teeth located between the canine and molar teeth. In humans, there are two premolars per quadrant in the permanent set of teeth, making eight premolars total in the mouth ...
, and two pairs of
molars The molars or molar teeth are large, flat teeth at the back of the mouth. They are more developed in mammals. They are used primarily to grind food during chewing. The name ''molar'' derives from Latin, ''molaris dens'', meaning "millstone to ...
for a total of 28 teeth. Compared to other cats, including small wild cats, the Iriomote cat is lacking one pair of premolars on the top jaw behind the canines. In addition to this, unlike most other subtropical mammals, Iriomote cats' teeth give details about their year-to-year history. It is expected that these details will help determine the age and behavior of the cats. The
anal gland Anal may refer to: Related to the anus *Related to the anus of animals: ** Anal fin, in fish anatomy ** Anal vein, in insect anatomy ** Anal scale, in reptile anatomy *Related to the human anus: ** Anal sex, a type of sexual activity involving ...
s of the Iriomote cat surround the
anus The anus (Latin, 'ring' or 'circle') is an opening at the opposite end of an animal's digestive tract from the mouth. Its function is to control the expulsion of feces, the residual semi-solid waste that remains after food digestion, which, ...
; this contrasts with other cat species', where they are inside the anus.


Distribution

The Iriomote cat is
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to the
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
ese
Iriomote Island is the largest of the Yaeyama Islands of Japan, and the second largest in Okinawa Prefecture after Okinawa Island itself. The island has an area of and a 2005 population of 2,347. The island does not have an airstrip, and most visitors — ov ...
, which spans about . Iriomote consists predominantly of low mountains ranging in elevation with subtropical
evergreen forest An evergreen forest is a forest made up of evergreen trees. They occur across a wide range of climatic zones, and include trees such as conifers and holly in cold climates, eucalyptus, Live oak, acacias, magnolia, and banksia in more temperate zon ...
, including extensive belts of
mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evolution in severa ...
along the waterways. It is the smallest habitat of any wild cat species in the world. The Iriomote cat lives predominantly in the
subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical and climate zones to the north and south of the tropics. Geographically part of the temperate zones of both hemispheres, they cover the middle latitudes from to approximately 35° north a ...
forests that cover the island up to an elevation of . It prefers areas near rivers, forest edges, and places with low humidity.


Ecology and behavior

Iriomote cats are
terrestrial Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth. Terrestrial may also refer to: * Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to ...
, but climb trees, go into the water and also swim. They are
nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...
and especially active during
twilight Twilight is light produced by sunlight scattering in the upper atmosphere, when the Sun is below the horizon, which illuminates the lower atmosphere and the Earth's surface. The word twilight can also refer to the periods of time when this i ...
hours. During the daytime, they sleep in tree hollows or in caves. They mark their
territory A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...
by
urinating Urination, also known as micturition, is the release of urine from the urinary bladder through the urethra to the outside of the body. It is the urinary system's form of excretion. It is also known medically as micturition, voiding, uresis, ...
and
defecating Defecation (or defaecation) follows digestion, and is a necessary process by which organisms eliminate a solid, semisolid, or liquid waste material known as feces from the digestive tract via the anus. The act has a variety of names ranging f ...
on rocks, tree stumps and bushes. Their home ranges vary from in size.


Home range

Iriomote cats are usually solitary. Their home range varies seasonally and also individually, and is smaller during the mating season. In 1998 and 1999, a male and a female Iriomote cat were radio tracked for seven to 13 successive days in the western part of the island. Their home ranges overlapped extensively in all periods. The periodical home range of the male was in size, and the resident female's range was .Nakanishi, N., Okamura, M., Watanabe, S., Izawa, M., Doi, T. (2005)
''The effect of habitat on home range size in the Iriomote Cat "Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis" ''
Mammal Study 30: 1–10.
Iriomote cats are
territorial A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or an ...
. Home ranges of males and females overlap, and one to two females live within a male's home range. Typically, home ranges of same gender cats will not overlap, but partial overlaps are seen. Often, these small overlaps are hunting grounds. It is thought that they patrol their territories during three to four days, marking and hunting as they go. Young male Iriomote cats and some adult cats are transient, i. e. wandering over the island and waiting for an open home range slot that they can occupy by marking this area. Female cats allow their young to stay in their own home range and mark a new territory once the next breeding season comes.


Feeding ecology

Iriomote cats are
carnivorous A carnivore , or meat-eater (Latin, ''caro'', genitive ''carnis'', meaning meat or "flesh" and ''vorare'' meaning "to devour"), is an animal or plant whose food and energy requirements derive from animal tissues (mainly muscle, fat and other ...
and prey on various mammals,
birds Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
,
reptiles Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, squamates ( lizards and snakes) and rhynchoceph ...
,
amphibians Amphibians are four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arbo ...
,
fish Fish are Aquatic animal, aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack Limb (anatomy), limbs with Digit (anatomy), digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous and bony fish as we ...
, and
crustaceans Crustaceans (Crustacea, ) form a large, diverse arthropod taxon which includes such animals as decapods, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, amphipods and mantis shrimp. The crustacean g ...
. They typically ingest of food a day. Other wild cats primarily hunt small mammals, such as
rodents Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...
and
rabbits Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit sp ...
, but because there are no other carnivores to compete with the Iriomote cat on the island, there is no need for them to isolate themselves from the various habitats and food sources that are available. Thus, their diet is quite varied. Mammalian prey includes
black rats The black rat (''Rattus rattus''), also known as the roof rat, ship rat, or house rat, is a common long-tailed rodent of the stereotypical rat genus ''Rattus'', in the subfamily Murinae. It likely originated in the Indian subcontinent, but is n ...
, Ryukyu flying foxes and young Ryukyu
wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species i ...
. Their prey also includes a wide range of birds, such as the
Eastern spot-billed duck The eastern spot-billed duck or Chinese spot-billed duck (''Anas zonorhyncha'') is a species of dabbling duck that breeds in East and Southeast Asia. This species was formerly considered a subspecies of the Indian spot-billed duck and both were r ...
,
slaty-legged crake The slaty-legged crake or banded crake (''Rallina eurizonoides'') is a waterbird in the rail and crake family, Rallidae. Distribution and habitat Its breeding habitat is swamps and similar wet areas in well-wooded country across south Asia ea ...
,
Eurasian scops-owl The Eurasian scops owl (''Otus scops''), also known as the European scops owl or just scops owl, is a small owl in the typical owl family Strigidae. Its breeding range extends from southern Europe eastwards to southern Siberia and the western Him ...
, pale thrush, and
white-breasted waterhen The white-breasted waterhen (''Amaurornis phoenicurus'') is a waterbird of the rail and crake family, Rallidae, that is widely distributed across South and Southeast Asia. They are dark slaty birds with a clean white face, breast and belly. They ...
. Reptiles include various types of snakes and
Kishinoue's giant skink Kishinoue's giant skink (''Plestiodon kishinouyei''), also known as the Japanese skink, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae, endemic to the southern Ryukyu Islands of Japan. The species name is a tribute to Japanese fisherie ...
. They are also known to hunt Sakishima rice frogs, yellow-spotted crickets and
crabs Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all the ...
. As their hunting grounds tend to be in
swamps A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...
or on
shore A shore or a shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. In physical oceanography, a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past a ...
s, they sometimes swim and dive to catch water birds, fish, and freshwater prawns. When eating birds that are larger than a dusky thrush, most types of cats will pluck the feathers and then eat it, but the Iriomote cat will eat even large birds whole without removing the feathers. Also, unlike other cats, the Iriomote cat does not kill its prey immediately by breaking the
spinal cord The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure made up of nervous tissue, which extends from the medulla oblongata in the brainstem to the lumbar region of the vertebral column (backbone). The backbone encloses the central canal of the sp ...
. Instead, it holds the animal in its mouth until it stops moving. It is estimated that water birds comprise about 60% of the cat's diet with black rats being its secondary source of food at about 10–30% of its diet. Based on stool samples, birds represent 60% of their diet, black rats 30%, insects 30%, lizards and frogs about 15–20%, bats 3–17%, and wild pig less than 1%. In addition, fish and crustaceans appear roughly 3–4% of the time. Seasonal dietary changes have been observed. They eat rats and frogs year-round, lizards in the summer and spring, and crickets and bats more often in the fall and winter.


Reproductive behavior

During the
mating season Seasonal breeders are animal species that successfully mate only during certain times of the year. These times of year allow for the optimization of survival of young due to factors such as ambient temperature, food and water availability, and ch ...
, Iriomote cats become active during the day as well. Breeding females are more active than nonbreeding ones during the late night and morning hours.Schmidt, K., Nakanishi, N.,Izawa, M., Okamura, M., Watanabe, S., Tanaka, S. Doi, T. (2009)
''The reproductive tactics and activity patterns of solitary carnivores: the Iriomote cat''
Journal of Ethology 27: 165–174.
Outside the mating season the cats live in solitary, but when they begin breeding they act together. The mating season lasts from December to March, and females go into heat several times during this period, with the peak being in January and February. Towards the end of February, they fast for about two weeks. It is during this period that females are most sexually excited. Male and female cats always stay together at this time, and it is thought that conception happens during these two weeks. Pregnancy is
viviparous Among animals, viviparity is development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. This is opposed to oviparity which is a reproductive mode in which females lay developing eggs that complete their development and hatch externally from the ...
, and between April and June pregnant female cats give birth to 1–3 kittens in a tree hollow or cavern. The locations chosen for birthing and rearing are dry and have good ventilation. Kittens stay with their mother for about eleven months. They begin to become more independent during the fall and winter months. They stay in their mother's home range from anywhere between a few months and years. Kittens reach maturity twenty months after birth.


Lifespan

It is estimated that Iriomote cats live for seven to eight years in the wild, and eight to nine years in captivity. Human influences, traffic accidents and traps may lower their lifespan to two to five years. In captivity, an Iriomote cat lived for an estimated 15 years and one month, the longest known lifespan of any Iriomote cat.


Discovery

The Iriomote cat was discovered in 1965 by , an author who specialized in works about animals. In 1967, it was first described by
Yoshinori Imaizumi was a Japanese zoologist. He is known for describing the Iriomote cat in 1967. He was the director of the zoological department of the National Museum of Nature and Science The is in the northeast corner of Ueno Park in Tokyo. The museum ha ...
, director of the zoological department of the
National Museum of Nature and Science The is in the northeast corner of Ueno Park in Tokyo. The museum has exhibitions on pre- Meiji science in Japan. It is the venue of the taxidermied bodies of the legendary dogs Hachikō and Taro and Jiro. A life-size blue whale model and a ste ...
in
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...
. 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 A feral () animal or plant is one that lives in the wild but is descended from domesticated individuals. As with an introduced species, the introduction of feral animals or plants to non-native regions may disrupt ecosystems and has, in some ...
cat.


Prior to specimen acquisition

Based on information from local people, from the University of the Ryukyus was able to capture a kitten in 1962, but did not get an adult specimen. In 1964, from the exploration department of
Waseda University , mottoeng = Independence of scholarship , established = 21 October 1882 , type = Private , endowment = , president = Aiji Tanaka , city = Shinjuku , state = Tokyo , country = Japan , students = 47,959 , undergrad = 39,382 , postgrad ...
informed Imaizumi of the rumors of a cat living in the mountains of Iriomote. In February 1965, Togawa visited the
Yaeyama Islands The Yaeyama Islands (八重山列島 ''Yaeyama-rettō'', also 八重山諸島 ''Yaeyama-shotō'', Yaeyama: ''Yaima'', Yonaguni: ''Daama'', Okinawan: ''Yeema'', Northern Ryukyuan: ''Yapema'') are an archipelago in the southwest of Okinawa P ...
. He had heard in Naha from a newspaper columnist that there were rumors of wild cats living on Iriomote. He at first assumed that, like reports of the extinct
Japanese wolf The Japanese wolf ( ja, ニホンオオカミ(日本狼), ja, script=Latn, label= Hepburn, Nihon ōkami, or , below]; ''Canis lupus hodophilax''), also known as the Honshū wolf, is an extinct subspecies of the gray wolf that was once endem ...
, people must have been mistaking escaped and
feral A feral () animal or plant is one that lives in the wild but is descended from domesticated individuals. As with an introduced species, the introduction of feral animals or plants to non-native regions may disrupt ecosystems and has, in some ...
house pets for wild animals. He spoke with colleague Tetsuo Koura who knew of and believed there to be some truth to the rumors. Koura then entrusted Togawa with the task of acquiring evidence. Togawa then traveled to Iriomote to gather information for his own report and to collect information on the Iriomote cat and a specimen. Upon arriving on the island, Togawa learned that because there wasn't enough food on Iriomote, people would cook Iriomote cats that had been caught and use the meat in soup. Cats caught in traps would also be disposed of, which made acquiring samples difficult. Following these discoveries, he went to the hamlet of on the western side of the island. There, a middle school teacher who had worked under Koura said that he had caught one of the cats in a trap set for wild boar. He had sent the skin to Koura but buried the rest of the body. Togawa dug up the remains and got the skull. He also found two feces samples near the village, and was able to get a skin from a fisherman who lived in , a hamlet along Urauchi River. He returned to Koura and sent the two skins, the feces, and the skull to Yoshinori Imaizumi at the National Museum of Nature and Science where examined the remains. The analysis was performed on 14 March 1965. The results showed the cat to be either a new species or a new subspecies, but there weren't enough samples to confirm. They requested either a complete set of remains or a live specimen. Following the announcement, some members of the society believed the samples to show simple mutations while others believed them to be the remains of wild cats that had previously been brought to and left on the island by foreign ships.


Live specimen acquisition to announcement

In June 1965, Togawa returned to Iriomote with Koura in order to obtain a complete set of remains, a live specimen, and information regarding the cat's
ecology Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overl ...
. They brought box traps and silvervine to aid their efforts in catching a live cat. According to hunters, though, only one or two cats per year were caught, and the number of remaining cats was probably quite low. Togawa did not expect to catch one alive. 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 Formaldehyde ( , ) ( systematic name methanal) is a naturally occurring organic compound with the formula and structure . The pure compound is a pungent, colourless gas that polymerises spontaneously into paraformaldehyde (refer to section F ...
and buried the skeleton in a wooden box behind the school. Togawa exhumed the remains, and this cat became the prototype for the species. In addition to this example, the scientists also were able to obtain the crushed skull of a kitten from the neighboring
Yubu Island ''Yubu'', translated as Pace(s) of Yu or Step(s) of Yu, is the basic mystic dance step of religious Daoism. This ancient walking or dancing technique typically involves dragging one foot after another, and is explained in reference to the leg ...
that was later reconstructed by Imaizumi. In addition to researching the Iriomote cat, Togawa also looked into rumors of a larger cat on the island (see #Yamapikaryaa) and conducted an investigation. Before returning to
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...
, he offered $100 for any live Iriomote cat and $30 for dead cats that were brought to him. With the aid of the
Taketomi is an island in the town of Taketomi, within Yaeyama District of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Taketomi is one of the Yaeyama Islands. The population of Taketomi Island was 323 as of January 2012. Geography Taketomi Island is located south of Is ...
mayor and the , he was able to publicize the offer on bulletin boards and in other ways. He also announced rewards for the rumored large cat on the island: $200 if brought in alive, $100 for remains. Through these offers, he acquired two complete skeletons, two skulls, and three pelts that he brought back with him to Tokyo. One of the pelts was that which the elementary school children helped obtain, and it was confirmed to be that of an Iriomote cat. The sample from Yubu Island was small, and judgment was held back. A sample from
Ishigaki Island , also known as ''Ishigakijima'', is a Japanese island south-west of Okinawa Hontō and the second-largest island of the Yaeyama Island group, behind Iriomote Island. It is located approximately south-west of Okinawa Hontō. It is within the ...
was discovered to be a house cat. In January 1966, the body of an Iriomote cat that had been caught in a wild boar trap in the mid-basin of the Nakama River was sent to Koura at the University of the Ryukyus, but there was no more information regarding captures for some time after this. In December 1966, , a hunter at the Nakama River's mid-basin, caught a live male cat, but it escaped immediately. He then caught another male cat soon after. On January 15, 1966, local hunters caught a young female Iriomote cat near . The National Museum of Nature and Science planned on using funds intended for garden repairs to pay for the specimens, but the hunters who caught the cats expected $1000–$3000 per cat. At the persuasion of the director of the District Forestry Office, the hunters accepted an award within the budget as a “daily allowance” or “finder's fee”. During this time, the mayor of Taketomi was making negotiations with the and the Ryukyu government. He traveled to Naha for these discussions, which covered the possibility of offering the two captured Iriomote cats to the
emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( ...
with the stated purpose of increasing national knowledge about Iriomote and for the promotion of industrial development on the island. At the same time, the Taketomi town offices, under the premise of obtaining permission from the Ryukyu government to keep the cats, confiscated samples from the staff of the National Museum of Nature and Science and brought them back to their offices. With Togawa pressuring the newspapers and Yoshinori Imaizumi urging the Ryukyuan government and Southern Japan Liaison Offices through the
Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
, the Southern Japan Liaison Offices denied the possibility of giving the cats to the emperor, and the Ryukyuan government persuaded the mayor not to follow through with his plans. Finally, the specimens were delivered to the museum. The cats arrived at
Haneda airport , officially , and sometimes called as Tokyo Haneda Airport or Haneda International Airport , is one of two international airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area, the other one being Narita International Airport (NRT). It serves as the primary ...
in March 1967. Yoshinori Imaizumi kept them shortly until Togawa, having been entrusted by the museum to observe them, took charge of them for about two years. The cats were then transferred to the museum for monitoring. The male died on April 25, 1973 and the female on December 13, 1975. The male's pelt was temporarily stuffed, the blood was sent off for
chromosomal A chromosome is a long DNA molecule with part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells the most important of these proteins ar ...
research, and the rest of the body was preserved in
formaldehyde Formaldehyde ( , ) ( systematic name methanal) is a naturally occurring organic compound with the formula and structure . The pure compound is a pungent, colourless gas that polymerises spontaneously into paraformaldehyde (refer to section ...
. 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 ''Metailurus'' is a genus of saber-toothed cat in the family Felidae, and belonging to the tribe Metailurini, which occurred in North America, Eurasia and Africa from the Miocene to the Middle Pleistocene. This genus was formally described by O. ...
''. The former genus name of ''Mayailurus'' stems from the word used for “cat” on Iriomote, ''maya-'', while ''-ailurus'' comes ancient Greek and also means “cat”. The subspecies name of ''iriomotensis'' means “from Iriomote”. The Japanese name of was proposed by Yoshinori Imaizumi, in honor 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 In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bo ...
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 The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recent" ...
and three million years ago during the
Pliocene epoch The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...
s of the extinct genus ''
Metailurus ''Metailurus'' is a genus of saber-toothed cat in the family Felidae, and belonging to the tribe Metailurini, which occurred in North America, Eurasia and Africa from the Miocene to the Middle Pleistocene. This genus was formally described by O. ...
''. He emphasized these points, stating that the Iriomote cat and ''Metailurus'' shared a common ancestor sometime between ten million and five million years ago, and from that he deducted that the Iriomote cat's ancestors must have widened its range from mainland
Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
to Iriomote and other areas beginning three million years ago. It appears to be a very ancient species, a ‘missing link’, nearer to the common root of the cat tribe than any other extant species. 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. Because of these study results, it was subordinated under the genus ''
Prionailurus ''Prionailurus'' is a genus of spotted, small wild cats native to Asia. Forests are their preferred habitat; they feed on small mammals, reptiles and birds, and occasionally aquatic wildlife. Taxonomy ''Prionailurus'' was first proposed by ...
'' as ''Prionailurus iriomotensis'' in 2005. The Iriomote cat's
karyotype A karyotype is the general appearance of the complete set of metaphase chromosomes in the cells of a species or in an individual organism, mainly including their sizes, numbers, and shapes. Karyotyping is the process by which a karyotype is disce ...
, the restriction fragment length of the
ribosomal RNA Ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) is a type of non-coding RNA which is the primary component of ribosomes, essential to all cells. rRNA is a ribozyme which carries out protein synthesis in ribosomes. Ribosomal RNA is transcribed from riboso ...
(rRNA), and
molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...
analyses of the
mitochondrial A mitochondrion (; ) is an organelle found in the cells of most Eukaryotes, such as animals, plants and fungi. Mitochondria have a double membrane structure and use aerobic respiration to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is used t ...
12S rRNA and
cytochrome b Cytochrome b within both molecular and cell biology, is a protein found in the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells. It functions as part of the electron transport chain and is the main subunit of transmembrane cytochrome bc1 and b6f complexes. F ...
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 categorized as either intraspecies variations or individual
mutations In biology, a mutation is an alteration in the nucleic acid sequence of the genome of an organism, virus, or extrachromosomal DNA. Viral genomes contain either DNA or RNA. Mutations result from errors during DNA or viral replication, m ...
. 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 Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military ...
, the
Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yon ...
were connected to mainland Asia via a
land bridge In biogeography, a land bridge is an isthmus or wider land connection between otherwise separate areas, over which animals and plants are able to cross and colonize new lands. A land bridge can be created by marine regression, in which sea leve ...
from about 20,000 years ago to 240,000 years ago. Scientists believe that the Iriomote cat moved its range to the islands during this period. Because of this, it is assumed that there is little genetic variety within the species.


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. During the second survey of the island, conducted from 1982–1984, it was estimated that 83–108 Iriomote cats lived on the island. The third survey, conducted from 1993–1994, estimated that 99–110 of the cats were on the island. During the fourth survey, conducted from 2005–2007, there were an estimated 100–109 remaining cats. The method of estimating the numbers differed between the third and fourth surveys, though; if the third estimate were to be revised, there would have been an estimated 108–118 Iriomote cats at the time, meaning that the population is shrinking over time. Along with the traffic accidents, logging due to development, and development of the swamplands, house pets are also causing problems. House cats and stray cats especially cause issues with competition, disease transmission, and
genetic pollution Genetic pollution is a controversial term for uncontrolled gene flow into wild populations. It is defined as "the dispersal of contaminated altered genes from genetically engineered organisms to natural organisms, esp. by cross-pollination", but ...
due to hybrids born of inter-species breeding. It is also feared that dogs prey on the Iriomote cats. 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 hybridization are all important issues with the Iriomote cat. In June 1999, the Iriomote Wildlife Protection Center conducted an investigation among 50 house and feral cats and 23 Iriomote cats in order to see if FIV was being transmitted within the populations. FIV was not seen in any of the Iriomote cats, but three of the house and feral cats tested positive. 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 The cane toad (''Rhinella marina''), also known as the giant neotropical toad or marine toad, is a large, terrestrial true toad native to South and mainland Central America, but which has been introduced to various islands throughout Oceania ...
, 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 is categorized as "critically endangered" by IUCN. The Iriomote cat has been designated a natural monument by the
Okinawa is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 Square kilometre, km2 (880 sq mi). ...
government. On May 15, 1972, along with the recovery of Okinawa, it was nationally recognized as a
natural monument A natural monument is a natural or natural/cultural feature of outstanding or unique value because of its inherent rarity, representative of aesthetic qualities or cultural significance. Under World Commission on Protected Areas guidelines, na ...
. On March 15, 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 January 28 and enacted on March 1.


Projects and activities

In 1977,
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from E ...
wrote a letter addressed to Crown Prince
Akihito is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan from 7 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. He presided over the Heisei era, ''Heisei'' being an expression of achieving peace worldwide. B ...
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. In response, Crown Prince Akihito said that he wished for a way that would allow for the preservation of the cats and the continued habitation of people on the island. He also explained that the prime minister at the time,
Takeo Fukuda was a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan from 1976 to 1978. Early life and education Fukuda was born in Gunma, capital of the Gunma Prefecture on 14 January 1905. He hailed from a former samurai family and his father was mayor ...
, was considering the implementation of a wildlife sanctuary on Iriomote. In 1972, the National Museum of Nature and Science prepared for researching the ecology of Iriomote cats, and in November 1973 the
World Wide Fund for Nature The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the W ...
and the
Ministry of the Environment An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment ...
conducted a joint preliminary investigation regarding the cat's ecology, and from 1974 the Ministry of the Environment conducted a comprehensive investigation that lasted three years. After that, there were three more investigations beginning in 1982, 1992, and 2005. In 1979, the EPA began a three-year-long feeding operation in order to increase the survival rate of kittens, but these actions have received some criticism. Since the Iriomote cat's discovery, various investigations have taken place. In 2006, automatic cameras and radio telemetry were used in order to understand the cats' state of life. Pathological tests regarding the contagiousness of diseases were also conducted, and tests on feces and food leftovers were also done. They also compiled records of cat sightings by locals and tourists. Part of the Iriomote's cat range was designated as on April 18, 1972. With the US's return of the Ryukyu Islands to Japanese control on May 15, it became Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park, and in March 1991 11,584.67
hectares The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100- metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is ...
of the island was designated the in order to protect the natural environment of the islands. Despite these efforts, not enough land within the cats' preferred habitat of less than 200 meters 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. Since the US returned control of the Ryukyu Islands to Japan in 1972, development on Iriomote continued with finances from the Okinawan mainland. In 1977, a prefectural road was built that circles half of the island, which has led to a few Iriomote cat deaths every year due to traffic accidents. The Ministry of the Environment as well as the governments of Okinawa and Taketomi Town began installing road signs to warn people of Iriomote cats crossing the road, tunnels beneath the road for their safe crossing, zebra zones which create loud noises when cars ride over them, wide ditches on the sides of roads, and ditches on the side of the road that are inclined on one side in order to improve the preservation of the cats. 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 June 14, 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. A female specimen was also kept at the
National Museum of Nature and Science The is in the northeast corner of Ueno Park in Tokyo. The museum has exhibitions on pre- Meiji science in Japan. It is the venue of the taxidermied bodies of the legendary dogs Hachikō and Taro and Jiro. A life-size blue whale model and a ste ...
. She was believed to have been approximately nine years and seven months old when she died. On August 6, 1996, a male kitten that would later be known as Yon was taken into care at the Iriomote Wildlife Protection Center after being involved in a traffic accident.


Yon


Discovery and hospitalization

On August 6, 1996, a young Iriomote cat was involved in a traffic accident near Nadara Bridge on the northern part of the island. He weighed 1.6 kilograms and was assumed to have been born in early March, making him about five months old. It is possible that he had just been separated from his mother. The next morning he had regained consciousness, but he wasn't able to regulate his body temperature due to the serious injuries he received. He was transferred to Ishigaki Island at 9 am to receive medical care at Ishigaki Veterinary Clinic. He spent 24 days under their care. 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 Center for rehabilitation on August 31. Originally labeled W-48 due to the fact that he was the forty-eighth confirmed sighting of an Iriomote cat on the western part of the island, he eventually was given the name Yon.


Rehabilitation

By September 2, Yon weighed 1.9 kilograms. 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 in order 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 center 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 February 3, 1999 Yon's rehabilitation was restricted to a room within the center. 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 December 20, 2010.


Death

On December 20, 2010 Yon was found to be curled up and unmoving near a dried stream. He was brought into the center's rehabilitation room, where it was discovered that he had
pulmonary edema Pulmonary edema, also known as pulmonary congestion, is excessive liquid accumulation in the tissue and air spaces (usually alveoli) of the lungs. It leads to impaired gas exchange and may cause hypoxemia and respiratory failure. It is due ...
, 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 April 9 at an estimated fifteen years and one month old. He weighed 3.5 kilograms and was 78.5 centimeters 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 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 behavior. 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

In July 2010, the
Taketomi is an island in the town of Taketomi, within Yaeyama District of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Taketomi is one of the Yaeyama Islands. The population of Taketomi Island was 323 as of January 2012. Geography Taketomi Island is located south of Is ...
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 the Iriomote island, and the other at the beginning of a bridge in the North of the island. The comedy manga series
Azumanga Daioh is a Japanese '' yonkoma'' comedy manga series written and illustrated by Kiyohiko Azuma. It was serialized from February 1999 to May 2002 in the monthly magazine ''Dengeki Daioh'' by MediaWorks; three additional chapters were publishe ...
and subsequent animated adaptation by
Kiyohiko Azuma is a Japanese manga artist. From 1999 to 2002, he authored the ''yonkoma'' comedy manga series ''Azumanga Daioh'', which was later adapted as an anime series by J.C.Staff. In 2003, he began ''Yotsuba&!'', a slice-of-life manga series about the ...
features an Iriomote kitten named Mayaa. As their class go on a school trip in Okinawa, the main characters decide to visit the Iriomote island where Sakaki bonds with Mayaa, and ends up raising it. In the manga series
Tokyo Mew Mew is a Japanese manga series created and written by Reiko Yoshida and illustrated by Mia Ikumi. It was originally serialized in Kodansha's ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from September 2000 to February 2003, with its chapters co ...
by
Reiko Yoshida is a Japanese screenwriter. She has written and supervised numerous screenplays for anime series, live-action dramas and films. Her major works include ''Kaleido Star'', ''Aria'', ''Maria-sama ga Miteru'', '' D.Gray-man'', ''K-On!'', ''Bakuman' ...
and Mia Ikumi, the main characters get accidentally infused with the DNA of endangered species, giving them super powers. The heroine Ichigo Momomiya thus gets infused with the DNA of the Iriomote cat, allowing her to transform into a
catgirl A is a female kemonomimi character with feline traits, such as , a cat tail, or other feline characteristics on an otherwise human body. Catgirls are found in various fiction genres and in particular Japanese anime and manga. Catboy is a term ...
.


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. This cat is described as being twice as large as a house cat with a tail that is 60 centimeters long and a coat pattern that is different from what the Iriomote cat displays. It has been sighted several times. Locals have given it several nicknames. In the neighborhoods of Sonai and Komi they call it and , respectively, and on Aragusu Island they call it . It is not thought to be a house cat, stray cat, or an Iriomote cat. 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. The hunter said that, until ten days prior to the interview, the cat's skeleton was still where he had left it, but the recent rains had washed it away. He described that cat as having a shoulder height that reached an adult human's knee, a tail that was 60 centimeters long, a body twice as large as a house cat's, and greenish striped fur. On June 2, 1982 the
Yomiuri Shimbun The (lit. ''Reading-selling Newspaper'' or ''Selling by Reading Newspaper'') is a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities. It is one of the five major newspapers in Japan; the other four are ...
published an article about ''yamapikaryaa''. An experienced boar hunter claimed to have seen yamapikaryaa about ten times in the mountains around Mount Dedou. He also said that he caught and ate one once. On another occasion, he said he saw an adult female yamapikaryaa with a kitten. Other articles regarding ''yamapikaryaa'' have also been published, including on September 14, 2007. Professor of
Shimane University — colloquially known as — is a national university in Japan. Although formally established as a university in 1949, Shima-dai's origins date back to the late 19th century. In 2003 it merged with the Shimane Medical University (established ...
, who was staying on Iriomote in order to research fish, spotted a cat larger than the Iriomote cat with a long tail and spots. He saw the cat on on the seldom-visited western part of the island. , 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.


References


Further reading

* * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


BBC 2008: ''Iriomote cat''


* ttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/08/070829-rarest-cat.html National Geographic : ''Rare Japanese Wildcat Edging Closer to Extinction'', August 2007
Wildlife Conservation Center
website {{Authority control Prionailurus Endemic fauna of the Ryukyu Islands Endemic mammals of Japan Mammals described in 1967 Critically endangered fauna of Asia Subspecies