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clouded tiger cat

22nd April, 2024

clouded tiger cat

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Context:

  • Scientists in Brazil have identified a new species of tiger cat, called the clouded tiger cat (Leopardus pardinoides), which is small.

Details of the Tiger Cat:

Tiger cats, also known as oncillas, are small spotted cats found in Central and South America. They are adapted for tree-climbing and hunting small prey, weighing between 1.5 to 3 kilograms, much smaller than domestic house cats.

  • Scientific Name:Leopardus pardinoide.
  • IUCN Status: Vulnerable
  • Previous Classification: Until recently, tiger cats were classified into two species:
    • The northern tiger cat (Leopardus tigrinus) and
    • The Atlantic Forest tiger cat (Leopardus guttulus).
  • Researchers studying tiger cats in Brazil concluded that there is a third species, the clouded tiger cat, found in the cloud forests of southern Central America and the Andean mountain chains.

Threat of Extinction:

  • Despite the discovery of a new species, all tiger cats, including the clouded tiger cat, are under threat from deforestation and habitat destruction. This puts them at risk of extinction.
  • The discovery of a new species of tiger cat highlights the critical need for conservation efforts to prevent their extinction, as indicated by the researchers' urgent call to action.

Source:

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/climate-change/by-2050-the-world-will-lose-38-000-000-000-000-to-climate-change-dragging-down-average-income-by-19--95683

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q) Which of the following statements regarding tiger cats is/are correct?

  1. The scientific name of tiger cats is Leopardus pardinoide.
  2. The IUCN status of tiger cats is Least Concern.
  3. Previous classification of tiger cats included only three species.

Select the correct option(s):

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 3 only
  4. All Three
  5. None

Answer: E

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect:

The scientific name of tiger cats is incorrectly provided as Leopardus pardinoide. The correct scientific name for tiger cats is Leopardus tigrinus.

Statement 2 is incorrect.

The IUCN status of tiger cats is Vulnerable. They are classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to factors such as habitat loss and fragmentation.

Statement 3 is incorrect:

 Previous classification of tiger cats indeed included two species: the northern tiger cat (Leopardus tigrinus) and the Atlantic Forest tiger cat (Leopardus guttulus).