Cretan wildcat

Cretan wildcat[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:Carnivora
Suborder:Feliformia
Family:Felidae
Subfamily:Felinae
Genus:Felis
Species: F. silvestris
Subspecies: F. s. cretensis
Trinomial name
Felis silvestris cretensis

The Cretan wildcat (Felis silvestris cretensis; Greek: φουρόγατος, fourógatos) is a European wildcat subspecies that inhabits the Greek island of Crete and was first described in 1953.[2]

Long feared extinct, participants of an expedition by the University of Perugia, led by Alessandra Bellardinelli, managed to capture an individual in 1996. They named the wildcat that they captured 'Jack'. Two hypotheses of how wildcats arrived on the island have been suggested:[3]

  • It was already present before the mainland and Crete separated.
  • Early settlers of Crete brought domesticated cats with them. Some of these escaped and became wild again.

In October 2017, Greek news sites circulated reports that a sheep farmer, after laying traps for a predator that attacked young sheep of his herd, captured an individual of the species. The reports were accompanied by photographs and video footage of the captured animal.[4][5][6][7]

References

  1. ↑ Wozencraft, W.C. (2005). "Order Carnivora". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 536–537. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  2. ↑ Haltenorth, T. 1953. Die Wildkatzen der Alten Welt; eine Übersicht über die Untergattung. Geest und Portig, Leipzig.
  3. ↑ Anonymous. The Wild Cat of Crete. A Ghost Animal. Stigmes online
  4. ↑ "Πιάστηκε Φουρόγατος στον Ομαλό; - Συναγερμός στους επιστήμονες (φωτο)".
  5. ↑ "Αυτός είναι ο 'μυθικός' φουρόγατος που εντοπίστηκε στα Λευκά Όρη".
  6. ↑ Χανιώτικα Νέα (18 October 2017). "Φουρόγατος στα Λευκά Όρη;" – via YouTube.
  7. ↑ Sarantos Nikos (18 October 2017). "Δείτε τον εξαφανισμένο Αγριόγατο - Φουρόγατο της Κρήτης, που προσπαθεί να δραπετεύσει." – via YouTube.
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