IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Sicuro, F.L.; Oliveira, L.F.B. | |
| Variations in leopard cat (_Prionailurus bengalensis_) skull morphology and body size: sexual and geographic influences | |
| 2015 PeerJ (3): 1-29 | |
The leopard cat, _Prionailurus bengalensis _(Kerr, 1792), is one of the most widespread Asian cats, occurring in continental eastern and southeastern Asia. Since 1929, several studies have focused on the morphology, ecology, and taxonomy of leopard cats. Nevertheless, hitherto there has been no agreement on basic aspects of leopard cat biology, such as the presence or absence of sexual dimorphism, morphological skull and body differences between the eleven recognized subspecies, and the biogeography of the different morphotypes. Twenty measurements on 25 adult leopard cat skulls from different Asian localities were analyzed through univariate and multivariate statistical approaches. Skull and external body measurements from studies over the last 77 years were assembled and organized in two categories: _full data _and _summary data_. Most of this database comprises small samples, which have never been statistically tested and compared with each other. _Full data _sets were tested with univariate and multivariate statistical analyses; _summary data _sets (i.e., means, SDs, and ranges) were analyzed through suitable univariate approaches. The independent analyses of the data fromthese works confirmed our original results and improved the overview of sexual dimorphism and geographical morphological variation among subspecies. Continental leopard cats have larger skulls and body dimensions. Skulls of Indochinese morphotypes have broader and higher features than those of continental morphotypes, while individuals from the Sunda Islands have skulls with comparatively narrow and low profiles. Cranial sexual dimorphism is present in different degrees among subspecies. Most display subtle sex-related variations in a few skull features. However, in some cases, sexual dimorphism in skull morphology is absent, such as in _P. b. sumatranus _and _P. b. borneoensis_. External body measurement comparisons also indicate the low degree of sexual dimorphism. Apart from the gonads, the longer hind foot of male leopard cats is the main feature of sexual dimorphism among _P. b. bengalensis _(and probably among _P. b. horsfieldii _too). External body measurements also indicated the absence of sexual dimorphism among individuals of _P. b. borneoensis_. Inter-subspecific skull comparisons provided a morphometric basis for differentiating some subspecies. _Prionailurus b. horsfieldii _and _P. b. bengalensis _were distinguished only by a subtle difference in PM4 size, indicating that overall skull morphology does not appear to support their separate taxonomical status, in spite of the marked differences reported in their coat patterns. |
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