An Island's Genetic Legacy
On the Japanese island of Tsushima, located in the strait between Japan and the Korean Peninsula, is a population of the Amur leopard cat, Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus. Genetic studies suggest this population became isolated from its mainland relatives on the Korean peninsula as far back as 100,000 years ago. This separation occurred when the island was cut off from the Asian continent by rising sea levels following the Last Glacial Maximum. This long period of isolation has resulted in the Tsushima leopard cat having extremely low genetic diversity compared to its continental counterparts. This genetic bottleneck makes the small population particularly vulnerable to disease and environmental changes.
The wild population is critically endangered, with estimates placing the number of individuals at fewer than 100. The Japanese Ministry of the Environment has designated the cat as a National Endangered Species and established a conservation and breeding program in 1995. Major threats to its survival include habitat degradation from forestry and agriculture, a decline in prey animals, and traffic accidents, which killed 13 cats in fiscal year 2012 alone. Diseases transmitted from domestic cats also are a significant risk.
A Cat Apart
The Tsushima leopard cat is similar in size to a domestic cat, with adults weighing between 3 and 5 kilograms (6.6 to 11 pounds). It has a longer body and shorter legs than a typical domestic cat, along with a thick, long tail. Its coat is a pale brown or yellow, marked with faint brown spots. Distinctive features that separate it from domestic strays on the island include bold stripes running from its forehead to the back of its head and rounded ears with a white spot on the back of each. This pattern, sometimes called an ocellus, is a marking on wild cats.
The cat's habitat is a mix of mountainous forests, river and coastal areas, and agricultural lands like rice paddies. They are primarily nocturnal hunters. Their diet consists mainly of small rodents, but they also eat birds, frogs, insects, and reptiles. Unlike other small felines, they do not "play" with their prey, maintaining a firm grip until the animal is dead. Conservation efforts are centralized at the Tsushima Wildlife Conservation Center, which works to protect the cats through research, captive breeding, and public education.