Animal Info - Kodkod
(Other Names: Chat du Chili, Chilean Cat, Chilenische Waldkatze, Guigna,
Güiña, Nachtkatze)
Oncifelis guigna (Leopardus g.)
Contents
1. Profile (Picture)
2. Tidbits
3. Status and Trends (IUCN Status, Countries Where
Currently Found, Taxonomy, Population Estimates, Distribution, Threats and Reasons
for Decline)
4. Data on Biology and Ecology (Size
and Weight, Habitat, Gestation
Period, Birth Season, Birth Rate, Maximum Age, Diet, Behavior, Social
Organization, Age and Gender Distribution, Density and Range)
5. References
Profile
Pictures: Kodkod
#1 (4 Kb JPEG) (Tiger Terr.);
Kodkod #2 (20 Kb JPEG) (Felipex);
Kodkod #3 (30 Kb JPEG) (Wild
Fel.); Kodkod #4 (Cat with an Attitude!) (49 Kb JPEG) (Cat
Survival Trust); Kodkod
#5 (91 Kb JPEG) (Cat
Act. Treas.)
The kodkod is one of the smallest cat species, with a head and body
length of up to 50 cm (20") and a weight of 1.5 - 3 kg (3.3 - 6.6 lb). The kodkod’s buff or gray-brown coat is heavily marked with small,
round black spots. The spots on its head and neck
sometimes form broken streaks. Its tail is short, bushy, and marked with a
series of narrow black bands. The kodkod is generally associated with forested
regions, where it selects structured habitats such as thicket-forest and thicket
for its home range. It has also been
observed in fragmented, human-dominated landscapes.
Small mammals comprise the majority of the kodkod's prey. Birds are also
eaten frequently. Kodkods that live near agricultural areas also occasionally
eat domestic chickens and geese. The kodkod appears to have a mix of arboreal
and terrestrial
lifestyles. On the one hand, the kodkod climbs trees with ease and is seen on tree branches
resting or escaping from danger. On the
other hand, radio-tracked
kodkods have also been found to rest in ground-level vegetation rather than in trees. Furthermore, studies
have found that terrestrial mammal species
represent the majority of the kodkod's prey. The social system of the kodkod
varies. In one area, high levels of home
range and core area overlap among neighboring kodkods of both sexes were
found, indicating a lack of territorial
behavior. However, in another, dissimilar area, male home
ranges did not overlap each other; female home
ranges did not overlap each other; and males appeared to patrol their home
range boundaries actively, indicating the presence of territorial
behavior.
The kodkod is found in the central and southern regions of Chile and
in a small area of the eastern slope of the Andes in Argentina.
The kodkod has historically been described as quite common. However, in central Chile, which
is home to two-thirds of the kodkod’s population, habitat loss has
led to localized and patchy distribution. In general, the southern
forested part of its range is well protected and sparsely populated by people.
Because of its restricted distribution, the kodkod is particularly
vulnerable to habitat loss. Population fragmentation and localized decline in the northern half
of its range have been attributed to logging and deforestation by burning for
agricultural development. The kodkod also faces persecution
as a pest species in agricultural areas, where it preys on domestic fowl. Illegal
commerce in kodkod pelts appears uncommon.
However, the tails and pelts of kodkods are used as decorations on cars. The
cats are also unintentionally killed by wire snares set by hunters to catch
rabbits, as well as by the dogs used to hunt rabbits.
Tidbits
*** Cat Tidbit #6: Of all their
senses, cats probably depend most on vision to help them capture prey (Sunquist
& Sunquist 2002). (See Cat
Tidbit #7.)
*** Which cat species is the smallest is still open to discussion, with the black-footed
cat, kodkod, and rusty-spotted cat
all candidates for the title (Sunquist
& Sunquist 2002).
*** The word "kodkod" is the Araucanian Indian name for this cat (Sunquist &
Sunquist 2002).
*** Despite its role as a predator of rodents, the kodkod still has a poor reputation in many agricultural areas. Much folklore surrounds the cat;
e.g., a
common belief in some areas is that kodkods are vampires that drain the
blood of their prey. (Freer 2004)
Status and Trends
[The IUCN (International Union for the
Conservation of Nature; also called the World Conservation Union) is the world’s
largest conservation organization. Its members include countries, government
agencies, and non-governmental organizations. The IUCN determines the
worldwide status of threatened animals and publishes the status in its Red
List.]
- 1994: Indeterminate
- 1996 - 2001: Vulnerable
- 2002 - 2005: Vulnerable (Criteria:
C2a(i))
(Population Trend: Decreasing) (IUCN
2005)
Countries Where the Kodkod Is Currently Found:
2005: Occurs in Argentina and Chile.
(IUCN 2005)
Recent genetic analyses have lead to the proposal that all modern cats can be
placed into eight lineages which
originated between 6.2 - 10.8 million years ago. The kodkod is placed in
the "ocelot lineage," which
diverged from its ancestors as a separate lineage
8.0 million years ago. The ocelot lineage
also includes the ocelot, the margay, the Andean cat,
the pampas cat, Geoffroy's cat, and the tigrina. (Johnson et
al. 2006)
Population Estimates:
[Note: Figures given are for wild populations only.]
Distribution:
The geographic distribution of the kodkod is limited to an area of Argentina and Chile
of about 160,000 sq km (62,000 sq mi), extending from
approximately 70E - 75E
deg W and from 30E - 48E
S. In Chile it is found in the central and southern regions, from Santiago
Province south to the islands of Chiloé and the Guaitecas; in Argentina
it is
confined to a small area of the eastern slope of the Andes, in the provinces of
Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut, and Santa Cruz. (Sunquist
& Sunquist 2002, Freer 2004)
The kodkod has historically been described as quite common. However, in
the dry scrub of central Chile, which amounts to 10% of the country’s area but
which is home to two-thirds of the kodkod’s population, habitat loss has
led to localized and patchy distribution. In general, the southern
forested part of its range is well protected and sparsely populated by people.
Even where its habitat has been altered, such as in central Chile, where 15,000
sq km (6000 sq mi) of pine and eucalyptus plantations have been established,
kodkods may do well since rodent populations thrive there. (Nowell
& Jackson 1996)
In some respects the kodkod’s natural history appears encouraging for
long-term population persistence. It is able to exist within even substantially
modified habitats as long as sufficient dense vegetation remains for hunting and
cover. Small mammals and birds, its staple prey, are almost ubiquitous. Finally, in high quality habitat the kodkod has very modest
area requirements and can achieve high population densities. (Freer 2004)
Distribution Map
(2 Kb GIF) (Big Cats
Online)
Threats and Reasons for Decline:
Because of its restricted distribution, the kodkod is particularly
vulnerable to habitat loss, the primary cause of reduced numbers in the north of
its range. Population fragmentation and localized decline in the northern half
of its range have been attributed to logging and deforestation by burning for
agricultural development. (Nowell
& Jackson 1996, Freer 2004)
Agricultural encroachment into the habitat of the kodkod has resulted in
male cats encountering and killing free-ranging domestic chickens and geese that
entered the cats' home
ranges. Farmers have killed several kodkods in a single day following
predation by the cats on domestic fowl. The kodkod thus faces persecution
as a pest species. (Sanderson et al. 2002,
Freer 2004)
Illegal commerce in kodkod pelts appears uncommon (Freer 2004).
However, the tails and pelts of kodkods are used as decorations on cars. The
cats are also unintentionally killed by wire snares set by hunters to catch
rabbits, as well as by the dogs used to hunt rabbits. (Brito
& Elgueta 2003)
Data on Biology and Ecology
The kodkod's head and body length is: females: 38 - 51 cm (avg 42 cm)
(15 - 20" (avg 16.5")) (n = 9); males: 42 - 49 cm (avg 45 cm) (16.5
- 19" (avg 18")) (n = 12). The kodkod weighs: females: 1.3 -
1.7 kg (avg 1.5 kg) (2.9 - 3.7 lb (avg 3.3 lb)) (n = 5); males: 1.7 - 3.0 kg
(avg 2.3 kg) (3.7 - 6.6 lb (avg 5.1 lb)) (n = 6). (Sunquist &
Sunquist 2002)
Habitat:
The kodkod has been observed in highly fragmented, human-dominated
landscapes (Sanderson et al. 2002),
but in terms of habitat selection
at the largest scale, the kodkod has generally been associated with Chile's
Valdivian
Forest ecoregion (characterized by beech trees) and the Valdivian-like montane
forest of Argentina. These regions include extensive areas of forest
habitat but also include
other types of habitat at smaller scales, such as scrub, thicket,
thicket-forest, rock, and open areas. Recent studies of the spatial ecology
of the kodkod in two areas of southern Chile,
Parque Nacional Laguna San Rafael and Parque Nacional Quelat, have revealed that at finer scales of habitat
selection, the kodkod actually prefers several of these other
habitats, which are situated within the forest region, as opposed to forest
habitat itself. Specifically, radio-tracking
studies showed that at the intermediate scale of habitat
selection, the kodkod selectively incorporated the relatively dense
and complexly structured thicket-forest and thicket habitats into its home
range more than it did the forested areas. At the finest scale of habitat
selection, the cats actually spent the largest amount of time in
thicket-forest. (Dunstone et al. 2002,
Freer 2004)
Although food availability has been documented in previous studies of
carnivores as a major determinant of habitat
selection, studies of the distributions of small mammal prey in the study
regions referred to above found that there were no more prey animals in the
thicket-forest habitat than in other types of habitat nearby. It was
hypothesized that the preference for thicket-forest arose because this habitat
offers better concealment for the cats when they are stalking their prey. (Freer 2004)
Analysis of the distribution of the different types of habitat in the
portion of the kodkod’s distribution in southern Chile
showed that the most suitable habitats described above occupy only about 5% of
the total area, and that they are relatively isolated from one another. Thus the kodkod
preferentially utilizes a naturally fragmented and relatively
uncommon component of the landscape. (Freer 2004)
The kodkod occurs up to
the tree line (generally 1900 - 2500 m (6200 - 8200‘) elevation (although
towards the southern limit of its distribution the tree line can be as low as
500 m (1600‘)). It usually avoids farm fields, pastures, orchards and other open
areas, as well as areas with short vegetation. The kodkod uses vegetated
ravines as travel corridors between patches of preferred habitat and does not
seem to mind traveling distances more than 100 m (330‘) across open areas or
crossing roads to reach a patch of preferred habitat. It is relatively
tolerant of altered habitats, being found in secondary forest and shrub as
well as primary forest, and on the fringes of settled and cultivated areas. (Mazzolli
2000, Dunstone et al. 2002, Sanderson et al. 2002,
Freer 2004, IUCN
2005)
The kodkod is found in the Chilean
Winter Rainfall - Valdivian Forests Biodiversity
Hotspot (Cons.
Intl. 2005).
72 - 78 days (Freer 2004).
Birth Season:
Mating in southern Chile probably
occurs in the early spring, centering on August and September (Freer 2004).
Births probably occur in late October - early November (Dunstone et al. 2002).
Birth Rate:
1 - 4 young kodkods are born in a litter (Nowak
1999).
Maximum Age:
Up to 11 years (captivity) (Freer 2004).
Diet:
In a study based on scat samples from kodkods, rodents (e.g. small, medium and large mice and rice rats) and a
small marsupial were found to comprise about 70% of all prey identified. Birds were also
eaten frequently and represented about 20% of all prey items identified. Carrion,
invertebrates and vegetation occurred relatively infrequently in the
diet. (Freer 2004) Other
reports generally list the same prey, with the occasional addition of lizards
and domestic chickens and geese (Sanderson et al. 2002).
Behavior:
Although it is considered an agile climber, the degree to which the kodkod is arboreal
or terrestrial
has not been determined. On the one hand, the kodkod climbs trees larger
than 8 cm (3") in diameter (including trees more than 1 m (3.3') in
diameter) with ease. Kodkods found on tree branches appear to be
resting or escaping from perceived danger such as domestic dogs. Tree branches
on the steep sides of ravines are used to stalk prey such as lizards. On the
other hand, individuals radio-tracked
in a study on Chiloé Island, Chile,
rested at night in thick piles of ground-level vegetation. During the day they
were most likely to utilize dense vegetation along ravines and streams for
cover, or to rest under bushes and logged forest brush piles, rather than to
utilize trees. Furthermore, in studies at two locations in southern Chile,
small mammal species characterized as terrestrial
represented 61% of small mammal prey items identified at one study site and
71% of those at the other study site. Arboreal
species represented only 26% and 8% respectively. (Sanderson et al. 2002,
Sunquist &
Sunquist 2002, Freer 2004)
Two studies involving radio-tracking
of kodkods showed that the cats were as likely to be active during the
day as during the night (Sanderson et al. 2002,
Freer 2004), although they
preyed predominantly on nocturnal
species (Freer 2004). The
studies also found that there was a slight increase in frequency and speed of
movement at dusk (Freer 2004)
and that there were dips in activity from 0100 - 0400, 0800 - 1200, and 1500 - 1900
(Sanderson et al. 2002).
In southern Chile, in general the cats
were active for approximately 12 hours each day. Bouts of active and inactive behavior during periods of continuous radio-tracking
were often relatively short. Most bouts lasted less than 3 hours. (Freer 2004)
In a study in two locations in southern Chile, the straight-line distance
(net daily movement) moved by radio-collared
kodkods between the first radio-tracked
locations recorded on consecutive days varied from 0.01 - 1.83 km (0.006 -
1.13 mi).
The average net daily movement was 0.56 km (0.35 mi), equivalent to approximately
30% of the maximum home range width. Most net daily movements were less than 1
km (0.6 mi). Actual distances traveled over a 24-hr period varied from 1.21 -
9.00 km (0.75 - 5.6 mi). The average actual daily distance traveled was 4.3 km
(2.7 mi). The general pattern of kodkod movement within the two study sites
was one of relatively slow movement within localized areas, interspersed with
comparatively faster and more linearly directed movement between these
patches, plus frequent short bouts of inactivity. (Freer 2004)
In a study on Chiloé Island off of the coast of Chile,
radio-collared female kodkods were
sedentary. In contrast, males constantly moved about their home
ranges, presumably marking their boundaries and visiting females. Male kodkods
sometimes moved across their home
ranges in a single day. Males
expanded their home
ranges when competitors disappeared. (Sanderson et al. 2002)
Social Organization:
In the study of kodkods within two apparently high-density populations
in southern Chile, adjacent kodkod home
ranges were found to overlap considerably, both within and between the
sexes. Areas of core use also overlapped extensively. The analysis of
spatial-temporal relationships between individual cats indicated that almost
all of these relationships were either positive, implying some attraction
between animals, or neutral, implying that the movement of a pair was
random with respect to one other. No avoidance of neighboring core areas was
apparent; no patrolling of home range
boundaries was evident; and instances of aggressive encounter were rare. This
apparent social tolerance is highly unusual among small felids.
(Freer 2004)
The situation was different on Chiloé Island, where home
ranges of male kodkods were exclusive of those of other males and home
ranges of female kodkods were exclusive of those of other females (However, the home
ranges of males overlapped the home
ranges of females.). Radio-tracked
males appeared to patrol their home
range boundaries actively. (Sanderson et al. 2002)
It should be noted that the kodkods on Chiloé Island inhabit a
human-modified environment within an agricultural region - a study area that was
very different from the beech forest prevalent in the study area in
southern Chile (Freer 2004).
A detailed analysis of the habitat use by individual kodkods was performed in
the study in southern Chile.
Variation in habitat preference between individual cats was apparent. Most habitat types
were used more frequently than expected (i.e. on the basis of the percent of area
covered by that habitat) by at least one of the cats. To the extent that
different cats preferred to use different portions of the areas where they
coexisted, this facilitated
extensive home ranges overlap while
allowing spatial separation. (Dunstone et al. 2002)
Age and Gender Distribution:
The study in southern Chile found
that the number of adult animals was similar to that of subadults and males
were more numerous than females (Freer 2004).
Density and Range:
Density
During the study in southern Chile, the
density of adult kodkods each season ranged between 0.15 and 0.62
individuals/sq km (0.39 - 1.6/sq mi) in Parque Nacional Laguna San
Rafael and between 0.87 and 2.7 individuals/sq km (2.3 - 7.0/sq mi) in
Parque Nacional Quelat. The density of subadult animals throughout the study
period varied between 0.30 - 0.45 individuals/sq km (0.78 - 1.2/sq mi) in
Parque Nacional Laguna San Rafael and between 0.87 - 1.8 individuals/sq km
(2.3 - 4.7/sq mi) in Parque Nacional Quelat. (Freer 2004).
Range
The study on Chiloé Island took place exclusively on human-dominated
private lands at 2 sites. One was a highly fragmented, human-dominated
landscape with some forest and the other a contiguous forest with fewer human
impacts. The home ranges of females
on Chiloé did not overlap with human dwellings, whereas the home
range of 1 male contained more than 20 occupied human homes. In the
fragmented landscape, 2 males had home
range sizes of 3.4 and 3.7 sq km (1.3 and 1.4 sq mi) and 2 females had home
range sizes of 0.85 and 1.7 sq km (0.33 and 0.65 sq mi). In the contiguous
landscape, 2 males had home range
sizes of 1.8 and 22 sq km (0.67 and 8.5 sq mi). (Sanderson et al. 2002)
The results of the study in southern Chile
showed that home range sizes varied
from 0.43 - 2.6 sq km (0.17 - 1.0 sq mi). Adults utilized larger home
ranges than subadults (adults' avg = 1.3 sq km (0.5 sq mi); subadults' avg =
0.99 sq km (0.38 sq mi)) and the home ranges
of males were more extensive than those of females (males' avg = 1.3 sq km
(0.5 sq
mi); females' avg = 0.96 sq km (0.37 sq mi)). Home
range locations varied little during the time of the study, indicating
that the home ranges of resident
kodkods may be stable across multiple years. Radio-tracked
animals did not visit all areas of their home
ranges on a regular basis. (Freer 2004)
References
Acosta-Jamett et al. 2003,
Big Cats Online, Brito
& Elgueta 2003, Cat Act.
Treas., Cat
Survival Trust, Cons. Intl. 2005,
Dunstone et al. 2002, Felipex,
Freer 2004, IUCN
2005, IUCN Cat Spec. Gr., Johnson
et al. 2006, Mazzolli 2000, Nowak
1999, Nowell &
Jackson 1996, Sanderson et al. 2002,
Sunquist & Sunquist 2002,
Tiger Terr., Wild
Fel.
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