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African Golden Cat - Profelis aurata
Topic Started: Jan 7 2012, 08:15 PM (4,701 Views)
Taipan
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African Golden Cat - Profelis aurata

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Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Subfamily: Felinae
Genus: Profelis
Species: Profelis aurata

Subspecies

Profelis aurata aurata
Profelis aurata cottoni


The African Golden Cat (Profelis aurata) is a medium-sized wild cat distributed over the rainforests of West and Central Africa. It is about 80 centimetres (31 in) long, and has a tail of about 30 centimetres (12 in) in length. It is a close relative of both the Caracal and the Serval, but current classification places it as the only member of the genus Profelis.

Description
The African Golden Cat has variable fur color, typically ranging from cinnamon or reddish-brown to grey, although melanistic forms also exist. They can be either spotted, with the spotting ranging from faded tan to heavy black in color, or not spotted at all. Their undersides, areas around the eyes, cheeks, chin and throat are generally lighter in color and may be almost white. Their tail is darker on the top and may be heavily banded, lightly banded, or plain, although it always ends in a black tip. Those cats in the western parts of its range tend to have heavier spotting than those in the eastern areas. Two color morphs, a red and a grey phase, were once thought to indicate separate species, rather than variations of the same species.

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African Golden Cats are about twice the size of a domestic cat. Their rounded head is very small in relation to their body size. They are a heavily built cat, with stocky, long legs, a relatively short tail, and large paws. Body length usually varies within the range 62 to 101 centimetres (24 to 40 in). Tail length ranges from 16 to 35 centimetres (6.3 to 14 in), and shoulder height is about 38 to 55 centimetres (15 to 22 in). The cat weighs around 8 to 16 kilograms (18 to 35 lb), with males being larger than females.

Overall, the African Golden Cat resembles the Caracal, but has shorter un-tufted ears and a longer tail. Despite the wide variation in coat color, pelts of African Golden Cats can be identified by the presence of a distinctive whorled ridge of fur in front of the shoulders, where the hairs change direction.

Distribution and habitat
The African Golden Cat inhabits tropical forests from sea level to 3,000 metres (9,800 ft). It prefers dense, moist forest with heavy undergrowth, and is often found close to rivers, but it may also be found in cloud forest, bamboo forests, and also in high moorland habitats. The cat is found from Senegal in the west to Kenya in the east, and ranges as far north as the Central African Republic and as far south as northern Angola.

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Behavior and diet
Due to its extremely reclusive habits, little is known about the behavior of the African Golden Cat. They are solitary animals, and are normally crepuscular or nocturnal, although they have also been observed hunting during the day, depending on the availability of local prey.

The African Golden Cat is able to climb, but hunts primarily on the ground. It mainly feeds on rodents, but also includes birds, small monkeys, duikers, giant forest hogs and small antelope in its diet. These cats have also been known to take domestic poultry and livestock.

Reproduction
Knowledge of the African Golden Cat's reproductive habits is based on captive specimens. They breed readily in captivity. The mother gives birth to one or two kittens after a gestation period of around 75 days. The kittens weigh 180 to 235 grams (6.3 to 8.3 oz), but grow and develop rapidly in comparison with other small cat species. One individual was reported to be scaling a 40 centimetres (16 in) wall within sixteen days of birth, reflecting a high degree of physical agility from an early age. The kittens' eyes open within a week of birth, and they are weaned at 6–8 weeks. Females reach sexual maturity at eleven months of age, but the males do not do so until eighteen months.

These cats live up to twelve years in captivity, but their lifespan in the wild is unknown.

Subspecies
There are two subspecies of the African Golden Cat:

Profelis aurata aurata - from Congo to Uganda
Profelis aurata celidogaster - throughout Western Africa

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Each of the subspecies has two distinct spotting patterns. P. a. aurata can either have spots just on its lower body, or no spots at all except a few indistinct spots on the belly. P. a. celidogaster can either be spotted all over, or have a few spots on the back and neck with a few large spots on the sides of the body.

The African Golden Cat is similar to the Asian Golden Cat, However, genetic analysis has determined that they are not closely related. Its closest relatives are the Caracal Caracal caracal and Serval Leptailurus serval. The Asian Golden Cat Pardofelis temminckii belongs to the genus Pardofelis.

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Edited by Taipan, Mar 25 2012, 04:33 PM.
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Elusive golden cat caught on film

Page last updated at 15:50 GMT, Wednesday, 16 September 2009 16:50 UK

by Matt Walker
Editor, Earth News

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Snapped by a digital infrared camera trap

One of the most elusive of all wild cats has been photographed deep in the jungle of Uganda.

Three images of a wild African golden cat were taken by a digital infrared camera trap set up by biologist Dr Gary Aronsen of Yale University in the US.

To his knowledge, just one other image of a wild African golden cat has ever been published.

Although taken in black and white, the new photos reveal this particular golden cat actually has a dark coat.

The cat is so rare few researchers working in African forests have seen it.

A colleague of Dr Aronsen's has worked for years in Kibale National Park, Uganda where the photos were taken, and has seen the animal only once, while Dr Aronsen knows of only one other published photograph of the cat in the wild, taken in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"Anecdotal evidence suggests that while many villagers and locals may see the cat crossing roads, or maybe raiding domesticates, there are just not that many researcher sightings. We're usually looking for other things."

As a result, says Dr Aronsen, there are no direct field studies of the African golden cat (Profelis aurata).

Most studies that have been done are based on scat analyses.

"There is very little known about this felid, what kind of habitat it prefers etc," he says.

"It is spread across equatorial Africa, but it is cryptic and we presume solitary, making observations few and far between."

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The cat's distinctive coat markings are clearly visible

The African golden cat is a medium-sized cat, about 80cm long, that lives within forest across central and west Africa.

Despite its name, its fur colour is variable and it can be either spotted or not.

"The golden cat is melanistic, meaning that its colour varies over its lifetime, and across the continent," explains Dr Aronsen.

"I was disappointed that the cameras could not give me more data on [the cat's] colour, but the images suggest it is a 'dark phase' cat."

It is one of two cat species known to live within Kibale National Park, the other being the serval.

Servals are slim, long cats, while the golden cat is muscular and compact.

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The cat moves off

Dr Aronsen originally set up his camera trap to take images of primates living within the park.

"For the most part, the cameras capture amazing images of elephants, monkeys, chimpanzees, duiker and buffalo. The cameras also can record movies, so you can see multiple animals in a group, such as chimpanzees."

But he was still surprised when it recorded three separate images of a golden cat, which are published in the African Journal of Ecology.

"That meant that the camera was located within the cat's core area," he says.

The images were taken in an old-growth forest patch located within a place called Mainaro, which is a patchwork of old-growth, regenerating, and replanted forests, Dr Aronsen explains.

"Given that three images were captured within an old-growth patch, I'd say that the Kibale golden cats may prefer this habitat. But the range of any cat is large, and so they can go anywhere to hunt."

Aronsen himself saw his first and only wild African golden cat this summer, when one looped along in front of his motorbike as he travelled to conduct field work in a remote area of replanted forest.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8259000/8259573.stm




nature
 

The weight of the african golden cat , underrated

Here is my reflexion

It is said that at max lenght , a male african golden cat can grow up to 100cm of body + 45 cm of tail , and 55cm at the shoulders
and the maximum weight of the range is 16kg(sometimes i see 14kg)

I think an animal that size must weight a lot more , especially the golden cat with its built

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ps : Of course it is the same thing for the asian golden cat who is muscular too

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There is a lack of information on these two species ,so i am asking where come from theses data for the weight (measurements come from skins)
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Taipan
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Rare Footage of Africa Golden Cat Obtained with Calvin Klein Cologne [VIDEO]

By James A. Foley Nov 13, 2013 04:18 PM EST

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Camera trap footage from the jungles of Uganda has revealed rare images of an African golden cat, as well as providing evidence that the cat behaves contrary to what was previously believed. (Photo : WCS/Panthera)

Camera trap footage from the jungles of Uganda has revealed rare images of an African golden cat, as well as provided evidence that the cat behaves contrary to what was previously believed.
African golden cats (Profelis aurata) are a medium-sized wild cat, weighing up 35 pounds, or about twice the size of a domestic house cat. The felines roam the jungles of West and Central Africa, and until now, researchers have thought the cats were strictly nocturnal.
Based on the camera trap footage, which was taken in Uganda's Kibale National Park by the Wildlife Conservation Society and the big cat conservation group Panthera, researchers determined the African golden cat is actually cathemeral, meaning it's active both at night and during the day.
African golden cats have only rarely been seen by scientists, and not much is known about them. Their habitat is primarily the tropical forest, where they feed on a diet of birds, rodents, monkeys and other mammals, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.
The newly released camera trap footage adds to a rare collection of images of the African golden cat. The first wild footage of the rare cats was taken in 2011 by Panthera scientists in Gabon.
Interestingly, the researchers used the cologne Calvin Klein Obsession for Men to lure the cat near the camera trap, where it marked the area with its scent. The cologne is frequently used by researchers to attract cats and other wildlife to remote cameras.



http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/4896/20131113/rare-footage-africa-golden-cat-obtained-calvin-klein-cologne-video.htm
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Rare footage of elusive golden cat attacking a pangolin

6 May 2014 Last updated at 01:25 Help
Footage courtesy of Chester Zoo/Gashaka Biodiversity Project.

Camera traps set up to monitor chimpanzees in Nigeria's Gashaka Gumti National Park have captured rare footage of the elusive African golden cat attacking a pangolin.

Scott Wilson, Head of Field Conservation and Research at Chester Zoo, told BBC Nature: "The golden cat is the least known of Africa's felids, so any additional information and footage of it is exciting."

Africa's golden cat was caught on camera for the first time in 2002 and this is the first time it has been caught on camera in Gashaka Gumti National Park.

The cat leaps upon the pangolin, a long-tailed mammal covered in scaly armoured plates. But the pangolin then appears to escape by curling into a ball, a defensive posture, and rolling away, before the cat returns to inspect its potential prey.

It adds to the limited understanding of this rarely seen jungle cat, strongly suggesting that pangolin are a prey item.

"Camera traps can tend to take a lot of video with nothing on... so when a rare species turns up it is always exciting - when they are exhibiting interesting behaviours, doubly so," Mr Wilson said.

SEE VIDEO HERE : http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/27125337
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African Golden Cat v Red Colobus Monkeys

Check out the first known footage of an African golden cat hunting during daylight in Kibale Natl Park, Uganda! Taken with a camera trap set by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, this clip shows the African golden cat hunting red colobus monkeys feeding on the dead wood of a tree stump. Watch the vid to see what unfolds! Also check out the footage in slow-mo & watch another video of monkeys harassing an African golden cat in a tree

http://www.panthera.org/african-golden-cat

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152719203358763&set=vb.194322848762&type=2&theater
Edited by Taipan, Jan 28 2015, 04:49 PM.
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Ntwadumela
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THE AFRICAN CAT YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF

...

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There were also a good number of golden cats, one seen here making off with its prey and another showing its distinct markings.
©Laila Bahaa-el-din



We have learned so much from these photographs. It is clear that golden cats are active at all times of day and night, and they like to make use of trails opened up by elephants and people, and they are indeed solitary. Interestingly, even within one small site, their coats are highly variable in colour and pattern.
From images of a female carrying her prey past a camera to videos of a youngster batting at the camera with his paw, the mysterious golden cat was being revealed to me day by day, and I felt honoured to be let in on its secret life. On one exceptional day three years into my study, and when I happened to be carrying my camera with me, a beautiful golden cat female allowed me to see and photograph her. With shaking hands I lowered the camera to watch her disappear into the forest. I turned to Arthur, my field assistant, and we grinned madly at each other as he whispered ‘chat doré’ (golden cat in French).

...

The golden cat is dependent on its forest habitat – a precarious lifestyle because trees are often considered a resource to be extracted by people. With African rainforests predicted to host major booms in mining activity, and clear-cutting for development and oil palm plantations, this plucky little cat will become rarer and rarer, along with its fellow forest dwellers such as great apes, forest elephants, pangolins and many more. But there is hope too! The population size of the golden cat at the pristine site was comparable with forest cats from other continents (such as the leopard cat in Borneo and the Ocelot in Belize, both of which have density estimates of between 10 and 16 individuals per 100 km2). This is an encouraging result for a cat that was previously considered naturally rare.

...


Full article here: http://magazine.africageographic.com/weekly/issue-41/african-golden-cat-gabon/
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ManEater
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From this site : http://www.wildcatconservation.org/zookeeper-travels-african-golden-cat-2/
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