| Southern tigrina | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Felidae |
| Genus: | Leopardus |
| Species: | L. guttulus |
| Binomial name | |
| Leopardus guttulus (Hensel, 1872) | |
 | |
| Distribution of the southern tigrina, 2016 | |
Leopardus guttulus, thesouthern tigrina orsouthern tiger cat, is a small wildcatspecies native toBrazil,Argentina andParaguay.[1]
Felis guttula was thescientific name used in 1872 byReinhold Hensel when hedescribed a tiger cat from the jungles of theRio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil.[2]
It was long considered to be asubspecies of theoncilla (Leopardus tigrinus).[3] It was recognized as a distinctspecies in 2013.[4]
It is closely related toGeoffroy's cat (L. geoffroyi), with which it reportedlyinterbreeds in southern Brazil.[5][6]
The southern tigrina has a yellowish-ochre coat, patterned with open blackrosettes. It is slightly darker than the oncilla, has a larger rosette pattern, and a slightly shorter tail. However, it is extremely difficult to distinguish between the two species by appearance alone, since more genetic variation tends to occur within each species, than between the two species.[4] An adult southern tigrina weighs between 1.9 and 2.4 kg (4.2 and 5.3 lb).[7]
The southern tigrina occurs from central to southern Brazil inMinas Gerais andGoiás states, in theAtlantic forest, eastern Paraguay and northeastern Argentina below elevations of 2,000 m (6,600 ft). The population is roughly estimated to comprise around 6,000 mature individuals.[1] It inhabits densetropical andsubtropical rainforests,deciduous and mixedpine forests, opensavannahs, and beach vegetation.[8]
At the margins of its range, the southern tigrina interbreeds with Geoffroy's cat, but it does not appear to interbreed with the oncilla population in northeastern Brazil, which in contrast has a history of interbreeding with thepampas catL. colocolo. Because of habitat differentiation,interbreeding does not occur between oncilla and southern tigrina. In contrast, hybridization andintrogression occurs between southern tigrina and Geoffroy's cat at their contact zone in southern Brazil. Many southern tigrina and Geoffrey's cats are thought to be partial hybrids, because of the high level of interbreeding that is occurring.[4]
The southern tigrina preys mostly on small mammals, birds and lizards. Average prey weighs less than 100 g (0.22 lb), but also includes larger sized prey up to 1 kg (2.2 lb).[9][4]
The southern tigrina often inhabits the same habitat as the ocelot. In areas with a high ocelot concentration, the southern tigrina populations are smaller, due to competition. When ocelots are scarce, it allows for smaller cat species, such as the southern tigrina, to have better opportunities for shelters, food, and territory, which therefore allows for a larger population size and density of southern tigrina. This phenomenon is called the ocelot effect.[10]
In 2015, two juvenile southern tigrinas were recorded for the first time in the Atlantic forest while learning hunting skills and capturing acavy. The mother plays an important role in teaching her cubs how to hunt and survive in the wild.[11]
During the fur trade, the southern tigrina was heavily exploited. Today, the biggest threats to the southern tigrina includehabitat loss anddeforestation, hunting by local people, road kills, diseases spread from domestic dogs, and the use of rodent poisoning.[1]
The southern tigrina occurs in protected areas, but probably at low densities. Currently, a push is on to better understand theecology,evolution, and genetics of the southern tigrina to orchestrate a more effective conservation strategy for the species. In addition, further research is being conducted to better understand the special differences between oncilla and southern tigrina. Hunting of this species is banned in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.[1]
A demographic expansion following thelast glacial maximum (20,000 years ago) is thought to have led to theallopatricspeciation of the southern tigrina.[4]
