WCS 3-Sentence Science

Cat Claw Conundrum Confuses Conservationists

July 11, 2019

Credit: WCS Myanmar Program

Each year, Wildlife Conservation Society scientists publish more than 300 peer-reviewed studies and papers. “WCS 3-Sentence Science” is a regular tip-sheet — in bite sized helpings — of some of this published work.

Here we present work by WCS’s Steven Platt on the challenge identifying small cat carnivore species via camera trap.

1. Researchers have long believed that the IUCN Endangered fishing cat (Prionailurus Viverrinus), was the only small-to-medium sized cat species in Southeast Asia that left distinct claw marks in its tracks.
2. Using camera traps, researchers have documented that the more common leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) also leaves claw marks.
3. This photo-documentation shows that claw marks are not diagnostic of fishing cat, and, more generally, serves to re-emphasize the need for great caution in identifying small carnivore signs to species based on “common knowledge.”

Study and Journal: “Claw imprints in leopard cat tracks — implications for footprint-based fishing cat claims” from Cat News
WCS Co-Author(s): Steven Platt, Associate Conservation Herpetologist, WCS Myanmar Program

For more information, contact: Stephen Sautner, 718–220–3682, ssautner@wcs.org.