Kodkod is a wild cat of the Andes. It is one of the smallest cat species in the wild on Earth.
Leopardus Guigna Kodkod is often spelled as Codcod and called
alternatively Guiña, Hûina or Huiña. The rare feline bears a close
resemblance to Geoffrey’s Cat and Pampas Cat and is considered by some
to be a subspecies of the former.
Coloring is in the range of
yellow to gray-brown with dark spots and stripes often seen on trunk
and limbs. Belly and underside is usually white though all black
specimens are often recorded as well. Tail is short and ringed. Feet
are large and head is short and wide in proportion to the cat’s body
size.
As with many of the small, elusive wild cats, detailed
behavioral and hunting information is lacking about the Kodkod. It is
known to be nocturnal though and a good tree climber. In daytime it is
reputed to rest in trees and ground. Some reports suggest that it is
not a solitary feline and may well have a social lifestyle like that of
lions. Prey animals include small rodents, insects and birds. The
larger male Kodkods have been known to take domestic poultry in areas
where human settlements are next to the wild cat’s domain.
The
Kodkod resides in mountainous regions of Chile and Argentina in South
America. It lives in dense rainforests, preferring to stay close to
water bodies.
Two subspecies are recognized , that differ in their geographical location and physical appearance:
Leopardus Guigna Guigna - Southern Chile and Argentina
Leopardus Guigna Tigrillo - Central Chile
Pregnancy
lasts around two and a half months for Kodkod after which an average of
two babies are born. Lifespan has been known to be up to eleven years.
Numbers
in the wild are not well known though it is understood that the cat is
quite rare and continually threatened by habitat destruction.
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Tags: cat species, central chile, close to water, codcod, dense rainforests, domestic poultry, gray brown, mountainous regions, pampas cat, physical appearance, prey animals, regions of chile, small rodents, social lifestyle, southern chile, spots and stripes, tigrillo, tree climber, wild cat, wild cats