Does polymorphism make the
Asiatic golden cat the most adaptable predator in the Eastern Himalayas?
Does polymorphism make the
Asiatic golden cat the most adaptable predator in the Eastern Himalayas?
7/6/19, 6:30 am
Some wild felines have a diverse range of coat colors; others do not. Jaguars and leopards, for instance, come in spotted and melanistic forms, but tigers are always striped and lions always beige. Smaller cats, like clouded
leopards, marbled cats, and ocelots are almost always patterned in the same way, whereas jaguarundis, oncillas,
and golden cats occur in several different colors and patterns. Does a greater range of coat colors and patterns make some smaller cats more ecologically adaptable
than others? We explore this question for the Asiatic golden cat in light of data from an extensive camera trap study in Northeast India that has revealed a previously
unknown color form and potentially new insights about advantages of polymorphism in this species.
Some wild felines have a diverse range of coat colors; others do not. Jaguars and leopards, for instance, come in spotted and melanistic forms, but tigers are always striped and lions always beige. Smaller cats, like clouded
leopards, marbled cats, and ocelots are almost always patterned in the same way, whereas jaguarundis, oncillas,
and golden cats occur in several different colors and patterns. Does a greater range of coat colors and patterns make some smaller cats more ecologically adaptable
than others? We explore this question for the Asiatic golden cat in light of data from an extensive camera trap study in Northeast India that has revealed a previously
unknown color form and potentially new insights about advantages of polymorphism in this species.