A genetic study has indicated that a mystery wild cat known to locals on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica as the "ghjattu volpe" ("fox-cat") is a distinct species.
Researchers from the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB) and Claude Bernard University Lyon 1 conducted the study, as per Express.co.uk. These discoveries, together with the tagging and surveillance of the tiny ghjattu volpe population, will assist to guide future conservation efforts.
Corsican Cat Fox: Unique Species on the Island
On Thursday, March 16, OFB announced that the ghjattu volpe is indeed a unique cat species in Corsica after the lab conducted a genetic study comparing the genetic profiles of cats living in the wild of the French island and in metropolitan France and domestic cats.
The findings of the study, titled "Population genomics of Corsican wildcats: Paving the way toward a new subspecies within the Felis silvestris spp. complex?" published in the journal Molecular Ecology, sheds new light on the discussion and shows for the first time its unique genetic identity.
The existence of the Corsican cat fox on the island has been known to its inhabitants for a very long time. Since the 20th century, the population of the Corsican cat fox has been the subject of more or less precise descriptions. It was first recognized as a wild species on the island at the end of the 19th century and early 20th century, but it is only now that it has been officially determined so.
The scientists started a research program in 2008 when a wild cat fox was first caught. Together with the Office of the Environment of Corsica and supported by the Laboratory of Biometry and Evolutionary Biology (LBBE), OFB started the research.
The research program's objective was to confirm its existence in the agro-pastoral mythology of Corsica and to clarify its status. They established camera traps for the wild cats between 2011 and 2014 that helped them identify eight individuals with a particular homogeneous phenotype, which they refer to as the wild Corsican phenotype.
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Corsican Cat Fox Vs. Other Cats
As per the OFB, genetic profiling clearly separates the ring-tailed Corsican cat fox from mainland forest felines and domestic cats. Although similar to house cats in some aspects, the cat fox got its name from its length, which is about 90 cm (35 inches) from head to tail, and its distinctive black-tipped, ringed tail.
Moreover, Phys.org reports that the cat fox has unique stripes on its front legs, as well as "very dark" hind legs, and a russet stomach. The cat also has a sense silky coat that acts as a natural repellant for fleas, ticks, and lice.
The inconspicuous feline has long been part of local folklore. Carlu-Antone Cecchini, head of the forest cat mission at the National Hunting and Wildlife Office and a member of OFB, said in 2019 that the cat fox is part of the shepherd mythology that was passed from generation to generation.
These stories said that forest cats would attack the udders of their ewes and goats. The discovery of the genetic lineage of cat fox is an essential step towards ensuring proper protection and conservation for the endangered species.
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