Iriomote cat
Template:Use dmy datesTemplate:Use British English Template:Short description Template:Subspeciesbox
The Iriomote cat (Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis) is a subspecies of the leopard cat that lives exclusively on the Japanese island of Iriomote. It has been listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2008, as the only population comprises fewer than 250 adult individuals, and is considered declining.<ref name=iucn/> As of 2007, an estimated 100–109 individuals were remaining.<ref name=Ministry_environment />
In Japanese, it is called Template:Nihongo3. In local dialects of the Yaeyama language, it is known as Template:Nihongo3, Template:Nihongo3, and Template:Nihongo3.<ref name="Imaizumi1994-Yamapika">今泉(1994), Pp.8–13, Pp. 144–147</ref><ref name=Togawa1972-1>戸川(1972), Pp.13–92</ref>
DescriptionEdit
The fur of the Iriomote cat is mostly dark grey and light brown, with lighter hair on the belly and insides of the limbs. Markings along the jaw are white.<ref name="Imaizumi_1994-7-48" /> The dark parts of the body consist of dark brown to black tabby markings on a lighter brown agouti background. There are two dark brown spots on each cheek. There are 5–7 stripes spanning from the forehead to the back of the head, however, unlike the leopard cat, the stripes stop before reaching the shoulders.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 /><ref name=Imaizumi_1986 /><ref name=Ohara_2000 /> Dark brown to black tabby spots cover the flanks of the body, and there are 3–4 bands of irregular stripes on the chest.<ref name=Ohara_2000 /><ref name=Imaizumi_1991 /> The tail is dark brown; darker spots pattern the back side of the tail, whilst the underside of the tail is solid. The tip of the tail is dark.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 />
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 an ocellus (white eye-mimicking spot) on the back of each ear, much like those found on tigers' ears.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 /> Young cats lack these marks, and even for adults, the spots will not be as white as those seen on other leopard cat subspecies.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 />
The Iriomote cat's eyes are a light amber colour.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 /> The nose is large and flat, with no fur covering the reddish-brown nose leather.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 /><ref name=Ohara_2000 /><ref name=Imaizumi_1991 /> The paw ranges from Template:Cvt wide, in contrast to the Template:Cvt wide paw of a domestic cat.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 />
The skull is longer and narrower 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.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 /> The occipital bone of the skull and the auditory capsule are not connected.<ref name=Imaizumi_1986 /><ref name=Imaizumi_1991 /> The mandibular symphysis is short.<ref name=Imaizumi_1986 /><ref name=Ohara_2000 />
Male Iriomote cats grow to be Template:Cvt long and weigh Template:Cvt. Females are smaller at about Template:Cvt long and Template:Cvt.<ref name=Red_2005>Template:Cite book</ref> Its tail is thick from base to tip and Template:Cvt long.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=Ohara_2000 /> It has a long body and short, thick limbs.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 /> Its neck is also thick, and its shoulders are muscular, though its jumping power is relatively weak.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 />
The Iriomote cat has six pairs of incisors, two pairs of canine teeth, four pairs of premolars, and two pairs of molars 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.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 /> 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 behaviour of the cats.<ref name=Tooth_age>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The anal glands of the Iriomote cat surround the anus; this contrasts with other cat species', where they are inside the anus.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 /><ref name=Imaizumi_1994-119-157>Template:Cite book</ref>
DistributionEdit
The Iriomote cat is endemic to the Japanese Iriomote Island, which spans about Template:Cvt.<ref name=Imaizumi_1986>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=Ohara_2000>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=Imaizumi_1991>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=Masuda_1996>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=Center>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=Shizenkan>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Iriomote consists predominantly of low mountains ranging Template:Cvt in elevation with subtropical evergreen forest, including extensive belts of mangrove along the waterways.<ref name=Izawa07>Template:Cite book</ref> It is the smallest habitat of any wild cat species in the world.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994>Template:Cite book</ref>
The Iriomote cat lives predominantly in the subtropical forests that cover the island up to an elevation of Template:Cvt.<ref name=Imaizumi_1986 /><ref name=Shizenkan /><ref name=Imaizumi_2004>Template:Cite book</ref> It prefers areas near rivers, forest edges, and places with low humidity.<ref name=Imaizumi_1986 /><ref name=Ohara_2000 /><ref name=Red_2005 />
Ecology and behaviourEdit
Iriomote cats are terrestrial, but climb trees, go into the water and also swim.<ref name=Imaizumi_1986 /><ref name=Shizenkan /><ref name=Imaizumi_2004 /> They are nocturnal and especially active during twilight hours.<ref name=Imaizumi_1991 /><ref name=Center /> During daytime, they sleep in tree hollows or caves. They mark their territory by urinating and defecating on rocks, tree stumps and bushes. Their home ranges vary from Template:Convert in size.<ref name=Imaizumi_1986 /><ref name=Ohara_2000 /><ref name=Red_2005 />
Home rangeEdit
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 7 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 Template:Convert in size, and the resident female's range was Template:Convert.<ref name=Center /><ref name=Imaizumi_1994-75-117>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=nakanishi05>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.</ref>
Iriomote cats are territorial.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-75-117 /> Home ranges of males and females overlap, and one to two females live within a male's home range.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-75-117 /><ref name=Yamaneko_center /> Typically, home ranges of same sex cats will not overlap, but partial overlaps are seen.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-75-117 /><ref name=Yamaneko_center /><ref name=Wildlife_2006 /> Often, these small overlaps are hunting grounds.<ref name=Wildlife_2006 /> It is thought that they patrol their territories for three to four days, marking and hunting as they go.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-75-117 />
Young males 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.<ref name=Yamaneko_center /><ref name=Wildlife_2006 /> Female cats allow their young to stay in their home range and mark a new territory once the next breeding season comes.<ref name=Imaizumi_1986 /><ref name=Ohara_2000 />
DietEdit
Iriomote cats are carnivorous and prey on various mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and crustaceans. They typically ingest Template:Cvt of food a day.<ref name=Imaizumi_2004 /> Other wild cats primarily hunt small mammals, such as rodents and rabbits, 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.<ref name=Wildlife_2006>Template:Cite book</ref>
Mammalian prey includes black rats, Ryukyu flying foxes and young Ryukyu wild boar. Their prey also includes a wide range of birds, such as the Eastern spot-billed duck, slaty-legged crake, Eurasian scops-owl, pale thrush, and white-breasted waterhen.<ref name=Imaizumi_1986 /><ref name=Imaizumi_1991 /><ref name=Red_2005 /><ref name=Center /> Reptiles include various types of snakes and Kishinoue's giant skink.<ref name=Imaizumi_1986 /><ref name=Imaizumi_1991 /><ref name=Red_2005 /><ref name=Center /><ref>Sakaguchi, N., Ono, Y. (1994). Seasonal change in the food habits of the Iriomote cat 'Felis iriomotensis' . Ecological Research 9 (2): 167−174.</ref> They are also known to hunt Sakishima rice frogs, yellow-spotted crickets and crabs.<ref name=Imaizumi_1986 /><ref name=Imaizumi_1991 /><ref name=Red_2005 /><ref name=Center /> As their hunting grounds tend to be in swamps or on shores, they sometimes swim and dive to catch water birds, fish, and freshwater prawns.<ref name=Imaizumi_2004 /> 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.<ref name=Wildlife_2006 />
When eating birds that are larger than a dusky thrush, most cat species will pluck the feathers and then eat them, but the Iriomote cat will eat even large birds whole, without removing the feathers.<ref name=Imaizumi_2004 /> Furthermore, unlike other cats, the Iriomote cat does not kill its prey immediately by breaking the spinal cord. Instead, it holds the animal in its mouth until it stops moving.<ref name=Imaizumi_1986 />
Reproductive behaviourEdit
During the mating season, Iriomote cats become active during the day as well.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-119-157 /> Breeding females are more active than non-breeding ones during the late night and morning hours.<ref name=schmidt09>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.</ref> Outside the mating season the cats live in solitude, but when they begin breeding, they live together.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-119-157 /><ref name=Imaizumi_1994-75-117 /> 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.<ref name=Red_2005 /><ref name=Imaizumi_1994-75-117 /><ref name=schmidt09/> In late February, a fasting period lasting approximately two weeks occurs. This time frame is notable, as it coincides with a peak in sexual excitement among females. Male and female cats always stay together at this time, and it is thought that conception happens during these two weeks.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-119-157 />
Between April and June, pregnant female cats give birth to 1–3 kittens in a tree hollow or cavern.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-119-157 /><ref name=Yamaneko_center>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The locations chosen for birthing and rearing are dry and have good ventilation.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-119-157 /> Kittens stay with their mother for about eleven months.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-119-157 /> 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.<ref name=Wildlife_2006 /> Kittens reach maturity at twenty months after birth.<ref name=Ohara_2000 />
LifespanEdit
It is estimated that Iriomote cats live for seven to eight years in the wild, and eight to nine years in captivity.<ref name=Ohara_2000 /><ref name=Imaizumi_1994-119-157 /> Human influences, traffic accidents and traps may lower their lifespan to two to five years.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-119-157 /> In captivity, an Iriomote cat lived for an estimated 15 years and one month, the longest known lifespan of any Iriomote cat.<ref name=Yon_death>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
DiscoveryEdit
The Iriomote cat was discovered in 1965 by Template:Nihongo, an author who specialised in works about animals. In 1967, it was first described by Yoshinori Imaizumi, director of the zoological department of the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo.<ref name=Imaizumi_1967>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Prior to its scientific discovery, the Iriomote cat was known locally by various names: Template:Nihongo3, Template:Nihongo3. To distinguish between the Iriomote cat and other cats on the island, locals also gave other cats nicknames such as Template:Nihongo3 for stray cats and Template:Nihongo3 or Template:Nihongo3 for house cats.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-8-13-144-147>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=Togawa_1972-13-92>Template:Cite book</ref> Others, however, believed that the Iriomote cat was a feral cat.<ref name=Imaizumi_1986 /><ref name=Imaizumi_1991 />
Prior to specimen acquisitionEdit
Based on information from local people, Template:Nihongo4 from the University of the Ryukyus was able to capture a kitten in 1962, but did not get an adult specimen.<ref name=Imaizumi_1986 /> In 1964, Template:Nihongo4 from the exploration department of Waseda University informed Imaizumi of the rumours of a cat living in the mountains of Iriomote.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 />
In February 1965, Togawa visited the Yaeyama Islands. He had heard in Naha from a newspaper columnist that there were rumours of wild cats living on Iriomote.<ref name=Togawa_1972-13-92 /> He at first assumed that, similar to reports of the extinct Japanese wolf, people must have been mistaking escaped and feral house pets for wild animals. He spoke with colleague Tetsuo Koura, who knew of and believed there to be some truth to the rumours. Koura then entrusted Togawa with the task of acquiring evidence.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 /><ref name=Togawa_1972-13-92 /> Togawa then travelled to Iriomote to gather information for his own report and to collect information on the Iriomote cat and a specimen.<ref name=Togawa_1972-13-92 />
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.<ref name=Togawa_1972-13-92 />
Following these discoveries, he went to the hamlet of Template:Nihongo4 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 obtained the skull. He also found two faeces samples near the village, and was able to get a skin from a fisherman who lived in Template:Nihongo4, a hamlet along Urauchi River.<ref name=Togawa_1972-13-92 />
He returned to Koura and sent the two skins, the faeces, and the skull to Yoshinori Imaizumi at the National Museum of Nature and Science, where Template:Nihongo4 examined the remains.<ref name=Togawa_1972-13-92 /> The analysis was performed on 14 March 1965.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 /> 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.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 /> Following the announcement, some members of the society believed the samples to show simple mutations, whilst others believed them to be the remains of wild cats that had previously been brought to and left on the island by foreign ships.<ref name=Togawa_1972-13-92 />
Live specimen acquisition to announcementEdit
In June 1965, Togawa returned to Iriomote with Koura to obtain a complete set of remains, a live specimen, and information regarding the cat's ecology. 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.<ref name=Togawa_1972-93-138>Template:Cite book</ref>
In May 1965, prior to Togawa's return to the island, a group of children from Template:Nihongo4 on a field trip to the southern part of the island found a weakened, injured male Iriomote cat at the base of the small Template:Nihongo4 on Template:Nihongo4. The teacher in charge of the children took the cat. Another teacher preserved the pelt in formalin and buried the skeleton in a wooden box behind the school. Togawa exhumed the remains, and this cat became the prototype for the species.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 /><ref name=Togawa_1972-93-138 /> In addition to this example, the scientists also were able to obtain the crushed skull of a kitten from the neighboring Yubu Island that was later reconstructed by Imaizumi.<ref name=Togawa_1972-93-138 />
In addition to researching the Iriomote cat, Togawa also looked into rumours of a larger cat on the island (see #Yamapikaryaa) and conducted an investigation.<ref name=Togawa_1972-93-138 /> Before returning to Tokyo, he offered US$100 for any live Iriomote cat and US$30 for dead cats that were brought to him. With the aid of the Taketomi mayor and the Template:Nihongo4, he was able to publicise the offer on bulletin boards and in other ways.<ref name=Togawa_1972-139-176 /> He also announced rewards for the rumoured large cat on the island: US$200 if brought in alive, US$100 for remains.<ref name=Togawa_1972-139-176 />
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 was discovered to be a house cat.<ref name=Togawa_1972-139-176 />
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.<ref name=Togawa_1972-139-176 /> In December 1966, Template:Nihongo4, a hunter at the Nakama River's mid-basin, caught a live male cat, but it escaped immediately.<ref name=Togawa_1972-139-176 /> He then caught another male cat soon after.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 />
On 15 January 1966, local hunters caught a young female Iriomote cat near Template:Nihongo4.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 /><ref name=Togawa_1972-139-176 /> 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 US$1000–3000 per cat.<ref name=Togawa_1972-139-176 /> 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".<ref name=Togawa_1972-139-176 />
During this time, the mayor of Taketomi was making negotiations with the Template:Nihongo4 and the Ryukyu government. He travelled to Naha for these discussions, which covered the possibility of offering the two captured Iriomote cats to the emperor 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.<ref name=Togawa_1972-139-176 />
With Togawa pressuring the newspapers and Yoshinori Imaizumi urging the Ryukyuan government and Southern Japan Liaison Offices through the Ministry of Education, 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.<ref name=Togawa_1972-139-176 />
The cats arrived at Haneda airport in March 1967.<ref name=Togawa_1972-139-176 /> Yoshinori Imaizumi kept them shortly until Togawa, having been entrusted by the museum to observe them, took charge of them for about two years.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 /><ref name=Togawa_1972-177-242>Template:Cite book</ref> The cats were then transferred to the museum for monitoring. The male died on 25 April 1973, and the female on 13 December 1975. The male's pelt was temporarily stuffed, the blood was sent off for chromosomal research, and the rest of the body was preserved in formaldehyde. The female was stuffed and put on display in the museum.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 />
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.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 /> The former genus name of Mayailurus stems from the word used for "cat" on Iriomote, maya-, while -ailurus comes from Ancient Greek and also means "cat".<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 /> The subspecies name of iriomotensis means "from Iriomote".<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 /> The Japanese name of Template:Nihongo4 was proposed by Yoshinori Imaizumi, in honour of Togawa, who discovered the species, but Togawa turned down the request and instead supported the name Template:Nihongo4 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.<ref name=Togawa_1972-13-92 />
Classification and genealogyEdit
Mayailurus iriomotensis was the scientific name proposed by Template:Nihongo4 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 and three million years ago during the Pliocene epoch. He also thought that they shared many primitive characteristics with fossils of the extinct genus Metailurus.<ref name=Masuda_1996 /> He emphasised these points, stating that the Iriomote cat and Metailurus shared a common ancestor sometime between ten and five million years ago,<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 /><ref name=Masuda_1996 /> and from that he deducted that the Iriomote cat's ancestors must have widened its range from mainland Asia to Iriomote and other areas beginning three million years ago.<ref name=Masuda_1996 /> It appears to be a very ancient species, a ‘missing link’, more closely related to Pardofelis and Profelis than any other extant species of Prionailurus.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
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.<ref name=Imaizumi_1986 /><ref name=Masuda_1996 /> Because of these study results, it was subordinated under the genus Prionailurus as Prionailurus iriomotensis in 2005.<ref name=msw3>Template:MSW3 Wozencraft</ref>
The Iriomote cat's karyotype, the restriction fragment length of the ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and molecular phylogenetic analyses of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA and cytochrome b have proven to be identical, or nearly so, to the leopard cat's.<ref name=Masuda_1996 /><ref name=Suzuki_1994>Template:Cite journal</ref> The two cats are assumed to be extremely closely related, their differences being categorised as either intraspecies variations or individual mutations. 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.<ref name=Masuda_1995>Template:Cite journal</ref> According to marine geologists, the Ryukyu Islands were connected to mainland Asia via a land bridge from about 20,000 to 240,000 years ago. Scientists believe that the Iriomote cat moved its range to the islands during this period.<ref name=Masuda_1996 /> Because of this, it is assumed that there is little genetic variety within the species.<ref name=Center /><ref name=Warren_1999>Template:Cite book</ref>
ThreatsEdit
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.<ref name=Imaizumi_1986 /><ref name=Ohara_2000 /><ref name=Red_2005 /> 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.<ref name=Ministry_environment>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=Center /> 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.<ref name=Ministry_environment />
Along with traffic accidents, logging, and development of the swamplands, house pets are also causing problems. House cats and especially stray cats cause issues with competition, disease transmission, and genetic pollution due to hybridisation between the two species. It is also feared that dogs prey on the Iriomote cats.<ref name=Red_2005 /><ref name=Center /><ref name=tropics>Template:Cite journal</ref> The government has successfully eliminated the stray cat population on Iriomote.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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 hybridisation are all important issues with the Iriomote cat.<ref name=Red_2005 />
In June 1999, the Iriomote Wildlife Protection Centre 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.<ref name=Cat_AIDS>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name=Desex>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Furthermore, the cane toad, 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.<ref name=IWCC_Crisis>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=Invasive>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
ConservationEdit
StatusEdit
Since 2008, the Iriomote cat has been categorised as "critically endangered" by the IUCN.<ref name=iucn/>
The Iriomote cat has been designated a natural monument by the Okinawa government.<ref name=Togawa_1972-139-176>Template:Cite book</ref> On 15 May 1972, along with the recovery of Okinawa, it was nationally recognised as a natural monument. On 15 March 1977, it was given special status amongst natural monuments, and in 1994 with the Species Protection Act, it was designated as a Template:Nihongo4.<ref name=Kato_1995>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=Rare_animals>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This act was adopted on 28 January and enacted on 1 March.<ref name=Ministry_nature>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Projects and activitiesEdit
In 1977, Prince Philip wrote a letter addressed to Crown Prince Akihito 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.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-119-157 /> 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 considering the implementation of a wildlife sanctuary on Iriomote.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-119-157 />
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 and the Ministry of the Environment conducted a joint preliminary investigation regarding the cat's ecology,<ref name=Ministry_environment /><ref name=Imaizumi_1994-7-48 /> 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.<ref name=Ministry_environment />
In 1979, the EPA began a three-year-long feeding operation in order to increase the survival rate of kittens,<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-119-157 /> but these actions have received criticism.<ref name=Ohara_2000 />
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 faeces and food leftovers were also done. They also compiled records of cat sightings by locals and tourists.<ref name=Wildlife_2006 />
Part of the Iriomote's cat range was designated as Template:Nihongo4 on 18 April 1972. With the US's return of the Ryukyu Islands to Japanese control on 15 May, it became Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park, and in March 1991 11,584.67 hectares of the island was designated the Template:Nihongo4 in order to protect the natural environment of the islands.<ref name=Ministry_basic>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=Kyushu_forest>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Despite these efforts, not enough land within the cats' preferred habitat of less than 200 m above sea level was included. In 1995 the Template:Nihongo4 was established to increase preservation work, enforce research, and to increase understanding of the cat's ecological needs.<ref name=Center />
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.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-119-157 /> 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.<ref name=Center /><ref name=Protect_cats>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-119-157 />
In 2023, visitor caps were imposed for the island, limiting tourists to 1,200 a day, or 33,000 a year. This is a significant cut from the average 300,000 a year that visited before the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In captivityEdit
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 14 June 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.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-119-157 /> A female specimen was also kept at the National Museum of Nature and Science. She was believed to have been approximately nine years and seven months old when she died.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-119-157 /> On 6 August 1996, a male kitten that would later be known as Yon was taken into care at the Iriomote Wildlife Protection Centre after being involved in a traffic accident.<ref name=Yon_death />
YonEdit
Discovery and hospitalisationEdit
On 6 August 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 kg 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 had received. He was transferred to Ishigaki Island at 9:00 to receive medical care at Ishigaki Veterinary Clinic. He spent 24 days under their care.<ref name="Yon">Template:Cite book</ref>
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 Centre for rehabilitation on 31 August. Originally labelled W-48 since he was the forty-eighth confirmed sighting of an Iriomote cat on the western part of the island, he was eventually given the name Yon.<ref name="Yon" />
RehabilitationEdit
By 2 September, Yon weighed 1.9 kg. Despite his progress, his caretakers noticed a tendency for him to turn to the right because of the effects of his accident.<ref name=Yon />
From the beginning, Yon's caretakers took careful measures 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 centre staff, were only allowed to view him via video camera monitoring. The media were also prohibited from taking direct photographs.<ref name=Yon />
From the time he was discharged until 3 February 1999, Yon's rehabilitation was restricted to a room within the centre. 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 20 December 2010.<ref name=Yon />
DeathEdit
On 20 December 2010, Yon was found to be curled up and unmoving near a dried stream. He was brought into the centre's rehabilitation room, where it was discovered that he had pulmonary edema, 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 9 April at an estimated fifteen years and one month old. He weighed 3.5 kg and was 78.5 cm long. He is the oldest Iriomote cat on record.<ref name=Yon />
Influence on researchEdit
Yon was the first Iriomote cat to be kept for an extended period of time, the only one 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.<ref name=Yon />
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 behaviour. 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.<ref name=Yon />
In cultureEdit
In July 2010, the Taketomi 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 Template:Nihongo was chosen based on the submission of an Ishigaki resident who drew inspiration from the local nickname of the cat, yamapikaryaa.<ref name=Pikarya_name>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The town of Taketomi initiated an "Iriomote Wild Cat Day" (Template:Nihongo3) in 2015.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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 Iriomote Island, and the other at the beginning of a bridge in the North of the island.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
YamapikaryaaEdit
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. It is described as being twice as large as a domestic cat, with a tail that is 60 cm long and a coat pattern that is different from what the Iriomote cat displays. It has been sighted several times.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-8-13-144-147 /> Locals have given it several nicknames. In the neighborhoods of Sonai and Komi they call it Template:Nihongo3 and Template:Nihongo3, respectively, and on Aragusu Island they call it Template:Nihongo3. It is thought to be different from a house cat, stray cat, and Iriomote cat.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-8-13-144-147 /><ref name=Okinawa_museum>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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.<ref name=Togawa_1972-93-138 /> 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.<ref name=Togawa_1972-93-138 /> He described that cat as having a shoulder height that reached an adult human's knee, a tail that was 60 cm long, a body twice as large as a house cat's, and greenish striped fur.<ref name=Togawa_1972-93-138 />
On 2 June 1982, the Yomiuri Shimbun 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.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-8-13-144-147 />
Other articles regarding yamapikaryaa have also been published, including on 14 September 2007. Professor Template:Nihongo4 of Shimane University, 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 Template:Nihongo4 on the seldom-visited western part of the island.<ref name=Yamapikarya>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Nihongo4, 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.<ref name=Imaizumi_1994-8-13-144-147 />
ReferencesEdit
Further readingEdit
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite journal
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite journal
- Template:Cite journal
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite journal
External linksEdit
- BBC 2008: Iriomote cat
- New York Times: As a Japanese Island Grows Less Remote, a Wildcat Grows More Endangered, February 2008
- National Geographic : Rare Japanese Wildcat Edging Closer to Extinction, August 2007
- Iriomote Wildlife Conservation Center website
Template:Carnivora Template:Portal bar Template:Taxonbar Template:Authority control