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Garcia-Perea, R.
Andean mountain cat, Oreailurus jacobita: Morphological description and comparison with other felines from the Altiplano
2002 Journal of Mammalogy (83): 110-124
Recent field surveys searching for the rare Andean mountain cat, _Oreailurus jacobita_ , have had difficulty in identifying this species from sightings and skins. This is caused by the paucity of museum specimens (only 3 skulls available to date) and the lack of criteria to differentiate this species from other small sympatric felines (e.g., _Lynchailurus pajeros_). In a study to solve these problems, 3 new skulls of _O. jacobita _were identified and a total of 5 skulls and 41 skins examined. Skulls of _O. jacobita _average 12-14% larger than skulls of _L. pajeros_, showing a large anterior chamber in the bulla. Andean mountain cats have vertical series of yellowish-brown blotches on the sides, and a long, bushy tail with wide dark rings. Two keys to differentiate these felines, based on these and other characters, are offered.
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