IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Yamaguchi, N.; Kitchener, A.; Driscoll, C.; Nussberger, B. | |
| _Felis silvestris_, wild cat | |
| 2015 Full Book | |
The Wild Cat is the most common and widely distributed wild felid, and thus listed as Least Concern. However, introgressive hybridization with domestic cats is considered extensive, and taking place across almost the entire range, potentially resulting in cryptic extirpations of some populations (Nowell and Jackson 1996; Macdonald et al. 2004, 2010; Driscoll et al. 2007, 2011). Although detailed information concerning introgression is not available for most parts of its distribution, based on less biased samplings, local introgression rate is estimated 20% in Swiss Jura (Nussberger et al. 2014), 36% in France (Say et al. 2012), and 43% in west Germany (Hertwig et al. 2009), and 46% of wild-living cats in France may belong to a non-Wild Cat group (Say et al. 2012), whilst the figure may be as high as 88% in Scotland (Kitchener et al. 2005). However, introgression may be evaluated differently in each of these studies, making comparisons problematic. Even less information is available to assess temporal changes in introgression rates. Future research on hybridization levels and fitness consequences of introgression may warrant a reassessment of the Wild Cat as a threatened species, owing to population declines of the Wild Cat. |
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