Kodkod – comprehensive treatise

This cat’s prey animals are:

• primarily small mammals – rodents
• a variety of birds including the Austral thrush, Southern lapwing (see photo below right), chucao tapaculo, huet huet, geese and chickens
• carrion
• insects
• lizards

These cats are active during the day and night. When making long distance movements in daytime it is usually under cover of vegetation. They can travel considerable distances quickly (e.g., up to 5 kilometres in an evening). When they rest, they do so under dense cover, on stumps of fallen trees or up trees. They are excellent climbers in keeping with all felines but do not hunt prey in trees but on the ground (terrestrial hunter). They are secretive.

The University of Argentina researchers mentioned above had difficulty in trapping this wildcat. In fact the first cat trapped after considerable effort was a Geoffroy’s Cat. Note that this research was being conducted in Argentina. I have taken the liberty to reproduce a picture (below) taken of the Geoffroy’s cat being released. This shows the cat being handled without, it seems, fear of being scratched or bitten. The picture also shows the size of the Geoffroy’s cat, a similar sized (and similar looking cat) but slightly larger cat than the Kodkod.

If the researchers would like to receive payment for the use of the picture above, please ask – go to PoC Admin and use the contact form. Update Sept 2015: the photo above and below are by Dr. Mariano Ciuccio, Cátedra de Anatomía Comparada, Dpto. Biología Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur, San Juan 670, 8000 – Bahía Blanca, Bs. As., Argentina.

The researchers were left with seeking answers to the questions as to how the ecology of these two cats separated (or whether they lived in harmony – my thought) and what impact the presence of the Geoffroy’s Cat had on the conservation of the Kodkod.The researchers admitted that there is a lack of knowledge regarding both cats and that their DNA is very similar to the point that they could be two subspecies of the same cat.

The researchers where more easily able to trap Culpeo foxes in their search for the Kodkod. Question: What impact does the fox have on the conservation of this small wildcat? However, they were able to successful trap and radio tag a Kodkod. Well done. It was exhausting work.

Above: Picture of a radio tagged Kodkod slinking back into the forest after being radio tagged. I have reproduced this picture without permission. I would like to donate to further research in payment. Please advise me how. The research team was: Mauro Lucherini, Mariano Ciuccio and Diego Castillo.