Evidence of Rusty-spotted Cat Prionailurus rubiginosus (I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1831) (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) in National Chambal Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.10243.18.5.28988-28990Keywords:
Anthropogenic activities, felids, habitat fragmentation, ravine, roadkillsAbstract
The Rusty-spotted Cat Prionailurus rubiginosus, is one of the smallest wild cats, distributed across India, Sri Lanka and Nepal. In India. Here, we report evidences of Rusty-spotted Cat presence from National Chambal Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh, opportunistically recorded during field work in the region. The individuals, unfortunately found dead due to a suspected road collision, was photographed, measured, and GPS locations were recorded. Morphological features were consistent with published descriptions of the species. This record extends the known distribution of the species in the region and underscores the need for targeted surveys and mitigation of roadkill threats in biodiversity-rich landscapes. Our observation also contributes to the growing database of occurrence records, which are critical for refining conservation strategies for this elusive species.
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