Andean Cat
Overview
 
The Andean Mountain Cat (Leopardus jacobita) is a small wild cat
Felidae
Felidae is the biological family of the cats; a member of this family is called a felid. Felids are the strictest carnivores of the thirteen terrestrial families in the order Carnivora, although the three families of marine mammals comprising the superfamily pinnipedia are as carnivorous as the...

. It is one of only two felids for which no subspecies have been classically described. Fewer than 2500 individuals are thought to exist. This cat is one of about two dozen small wild cat species found around the world. In comparison to their larger cousins which may have millions of dollars dedicated to conservation efforts, conservation efforts exist on budgets in the thousands for small wild felids like the Andean Mountain Cat.
Its habitat and appearance make it the small cat analog of the Snow Leopard
Snow Leopard
The snow leopard is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of South Asia and Central Asia...

, in that it lives around 3500 – - well above the tree line - and only where there is water to support it.
 
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