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Oncifelis geoffroyi
– 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 geoffroyi
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Species Authority:
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(d'Orbigny & Gervais, 1844)
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Common Name/s:
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GEOFFROY'S CAT (Eng)
CHAT DE GEOFFROY (Fre)
GATO DE MATO (Spa)
GATO MONTÉS COMÚN (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 Geoffroy 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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| 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 Geoffrey's cat is found principally in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
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Countries:
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Native:
Argentina; Bolivia; Brazil; Chile; Paraguay; Uruguay
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Population
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Population:
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Although it is considered to be relatively common, its status is not well known, and heavy commercial hunting pressure from the 1960's to the late 1980's is believed to have reduced populations (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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Described as occurring in a wide variety of habitat types, Geoffrey's cat is distributed throughout the pampas grasslands and arid Chaco shrub and woodlands, and up around the Salinas Grandes (alpine saline desert of north-western Argentina) to 3,300 m in the Andes (Nowell and Jackson 1996). However, it is not found in either the tropical rainforests or southern broad-leaved forests, and avoids open areas, preferring dense, scrubby vegetation. Therefore throughout the broad stretches of Southern Cone grassland, it is restricted to forest patches or riparian vegetation (Nowell and Jackson 1996). It is sympatric throughout its range with the pampas cat, and the preference of the Geoffroy’s cat for dense ground cover may serve to separate the two species ecologically (Nowell and Jackson 1996).
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System:
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Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine
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Threats
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Threats:
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The species has been exploited commercially since the international cat skin trade boomed in the late 1960's (Nowell and Jackson 1996). International trade has since declined. It has been reported that most pelts in trade today are derived from cats killed as pests and livestock predators, and that commercial hunting as it existed in the past has essentially ceased (Nowell and Jackson 1996). So little is known about the species’ ecological requirements that it is at present impossible to judge the actual impact of hunting or habitat loss (Nowell and Jackson 1996).
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Conservation Actions
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Conservation Actions:
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Included in CITES Appendix I. The species is fully protected across its range, with hunting and trade prohibited in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay (Nowell and Jackson 1996).
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