7 January 2025

Might this be a Northern Leopard Cat – We’re Confused?

Hi – this photo taken by my colleague Peter Stacey (a professional wildlife ecologist) has us both perplexed.  He had taken it in Hokkaido, Japan a few years ago and we wonder if it could plausibly be a northern leopard cat.

We’re confused at several levels. We do know that a variety of mammalian taxa experience a cline (gradient); in the north forms tend to be a) larger, b) lighter in coloration, c) more furred, and d) heavier. We also know that some behavioral/life history traits between northern Japan and Russia; for instance, raccoon dogs tend not hibernate (aestivate) in the former but do in the latter.

Lots of questions emerge about why – or if – northern leopard cats had not been reported from Hokkaido (which is a serious concern as one would expect they should have if even only a few individuals might exist)..  yet Peter’s photo is certainly curious.  We can provide a specific location if useful.

One of my Russian colleagues who has handled northern leopard cats, noted that those he handled were not nearly as light as that from Peter’s photo but offered a caveat that northern island varieties could be different.

Any insights or opinions would certainly be welcomed.  Many thanks…. Joel

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Post author

snowox
I am a wildlife biologist wearing twin hats, as a senior scientist for the Wildlife Conservation Society and as the Barbara Cox University Chair of Wildlife Conservation at Colorado State University.  My work involves primarily large mammas focused explicitly on conservation questions and thematically on food webs, behavioral ecology, and supporting local communities; my efforts have taken me to Central Asia, southern Africa, southern Patagonia and the Arctic.
Post Views: 284

7 Comments

  • 7 January 2025
    Lennartv

    I think something went wrong with your photo. At least I can’t see one.

  • 8 January 2025
    snowox

    Hi…I’ve had a difficult time getting the website to accept and then post the photo. But, when I just checked however the image was there. Please let me know if you still cannot see it.

  • 8 January 2025
    Jon Hall

    Sorry about these glitches which are because of the site not you Joel. Very strange that the photo showed on my mac but not on mobile. Anyway I have reattached the picture.

  • 8 January 2025
    Tigrillo

    Still no pic 🙁

    1
  • 8 January 2025
    Jonatan den Haan

    Hi Snofox,

    I have trouble finding a source that actually states that Northern Leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) distributes into Hokkaido. Also based on the lack of spotting I think it is more likely that this is either a feral or domestic cat with a coat color suited to blending into snowy terrain.

    I could see/extract the photo from the email notification and have taken the freedom to upload it to Google Photo’s so other people can have a look! I will remove the link once the photo is back online on the forum.

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/au6cU5KAzVsvtidcA

    Happy mammalwatching!
    Jonatan

    • 8 January 2025
      Lennartv

      I agree, this is a house cat. You can find them in the weirdest places. I don’t see any characteristic that points towards the involvement of Leopard Cat in this cats lineage. Perhaps European Wildcat was involved at some point judging by the tail, but it could just as well be a regular descendent of African Wildcat like most other housecats. They come in all shapes and sizes after all.

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