External and skull morphology of the Andean cat and Pampas cat: new data from the high Andes of Argentina

TELLAECHE, CINTIA G.; REPPUCCI, JUAN I.; MORALES, MIRIAM M.; LUENGO VIDAL, ESTELA MARIS ; LUCHERINI, MAURO

JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY

ALLIANCE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP DIVISION ALLEN PRESS

Lugar: Lawrence; Año: 2018

0022-2372

Andean and Pampas cats are 2 Neotropical small felids of the genus Leopardus. Until now, most of the scarce morphometric data published for these felids, especially the rare Andean cat, was obtained from unsexed museum skins and skulls. Here, we present morphological data from Pampas cats and the largest sample of live Andean cats (5 Andean cats and 6 Pampas cats) captured in the Argentine High Andes. We provide a craniometric analysis of all available adult skulls of Andean cats, including the first known female specimens of Andean and Pampas (N=42) cats are also included. We nearly double the number of published external measurements for live Andean cats, and provide measurements and photos of all available adult Andean cat skulls, including 2 new skulls with known sex. The data show that Andean cats are larger than Pampas cats and morphometric differences may be related to sexual dimorphism in both species. Principal Component Analysis of skull measurements showed almost complete separation of Andean and Pampas cats.