Oncifelis colocolo
– Near Threatened
Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
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ANIMALIA
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Phylum:
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CHORDATA
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Class:
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MAMMALIA
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Order:
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CARNIVORA
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Family:
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FELIDAE
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Scientific Name:
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Oncifelis colocolo
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Species Authority:
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(Molina, 1782)
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Common Name/s:
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CHILEAN PAMPA CAT (Eng)
PAMPAS CAT (Eng)
CHAT DES PAMPAS (Fre)
GATO DE LOS PAJONALES (Spa)
GATO PAJERO (Spa)
OSIO (Spa)
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Taxonomic Notes:
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Likely to be transferred to Leopardus.
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Assessment Information
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Red List Category & Criteria:
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NT ver 3.1 (2001)
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Year Assessed:
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2002
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Assessor/s:
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Cat Specialist Group
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Evaluator/s:
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Nowell, K., Breitenmoser, U., Breitenmoser, C. & Jackson, P. (Cat Red List Authority)
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Justification:
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Based on estimates of density and geographic range (Nowell and Jackson 1996, Breitenmoser et al. 2000), the pampas cat’s total effective population size is estimated at below 50,000 mature breeding individuals, with a declining trend due to degradation of its habitat and prey base, and may possibly qualify as Vulnerable if these trends persist, or if better information on its status and range were available.
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History:
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| 1994 | - | Indeterminate (Groombridge 1994) |
| 1996 | - | Lower Risk/least concern (Baillie and Groombridge 1996) |
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Geographic Range
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Range Description:
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The pampas cat occurs widely in the drier habitats of South America, from the pampas grasslands to dry forest to the fringes of the high alpine desert in the Andes.
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Countries:
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Native:
Argentina; Bolivia; Brazil; Chile; Ecuador; Paraguay; Peru; Uruguay
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Population
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Population:
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Although it appears relatively common and widespread, there has been little research effort into this species and its status is poorly known (Nowell and Jackson 1996).
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Population Trend:
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Habitat and Ecology
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Habitat and Ecology:
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The pampas cat has a wide distribution and occupies a broad range of habitats. Its appearance varies in different parts of its range. The species is strongly associated with grass and shrub habitats and is found in the cerrado of central Brazil (open wood, shrub and grass complex), open woodland or scrub thickets. It occurs in the cold semi-arid desert of Patagonia, and is found in low-lying swampy areas in Uruguay, and up to 4-5,000 m in the Andes. It is not found in tropical rainforest. There is little data available on its ecology, but recorded prey includes small mammals as well as ground-dwelling birds – pampas cats have been observed to take penguin eggs and chicks from nests (Nowell and Jackson 1996).
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System:
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Terrestrial
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Threats
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Threats:
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The species is probably most threatened in the pampas region of Argentina and Uruguay where human settlement and livestock grazing is relatively high compared with other regions (Nowell and Jackson 1996). The pampas cats of Argentina were formerly hunted in large numbers for the fur trade but international trade ceased in 1987 (Nowell and Jackson 1996).
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Conservation Actions
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Conservation Actions:
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Included on CITES Appendix II. The species is protected by national legislation across most of its range, with hunting prohibited in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Paraguay, and hunting regulations in place in Peru (Nowell and Jackson 1996).
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