IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Groves, C.P. | |
| Chinese mountain cat (Felis bieti) | |
| 1980 Book Chapter | |
The genus Felis, as restricted by Pocock (1951), Haltenorth (1953) and others, contains the species F. silvestris Schreiber, 1977 (Wild Cat; including libvca Forster, 1780); F. bieti Milne-Edwards 1892 (Chinese Mountain Cat); F. margarita Loche, 1858 (Sand Cat); F. nigripes Burchell, 1823 (Black-footed Cat); and F. chaus Guldenstaedt, 1776 (Jungle Cat). From the review of Hemmer (1978) emerges strong support for including the Lynxes, the Manul, and possibly also the Caracal and Serval in this genus as well; but the common practice, dating from Ellerman and Morrison.-Scott (1951), of including in Felis all the small cats, is a mere counsel of despair and has no serious scientific basis. The studies of Hemmer and studies in progress by the author, point very strongly to the conclusion that the small cats are as diverse among themselves as are the cats as a whole: the genus Panthera, at least, is not the most divergent of the group. This survey omits Felis bieti. Very few specimens of this enigmatic species are available; a recent visit by the present author to a number of European Museums succeeded in indentifying a few more, and a reconsideration of the available evidence has suggested new conclusions as to its relationships. In any case, the time is surely ripe to review the known data on such a little known species. |
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