Camera traps on Sumatra have revealed the first ever documented case of melanism in the marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata). The black individual appeared in the frame with a normally pigmented individual, most likely a mate but possibly a sibling, thus confirming the species identification. I obtained this information from the latest issue of Cat News, published twice a year by the IUCN Cat Specialist Group. Other intriguing camera trap photos in this issue include good daylight images of bornean bay cat, a shot of the "ocelot morph" of the asian golden cat (one of my all time favorites), and the first photo I have actually seen of the "servaline morph" of the serval, which I have read about for years.
Couldn't find anything online, so I took a picture of the article. Top photo is black one by itself and bottom photo is the pair.
That is fascinating news. I use to enjoy viewing Marbled Cats at the Los Angeles Zoo back in the 1970s and '80s. Possibly even into the 90'.
Kudos for that, ArizonaD. Also, the photo of the "ocelot morph" of the Asian golden cat you mention, is it the camera trap photo taken in Bhutan in 2006?
@Saola - No, although I have seen that photo also. This one is from 2008, Tangjiahe NR, China. Part of an article on felid species discovered by extensive camera trapping in giant panda territory. (They found four, other three being snow leopard, leopard, leopard cat).
Is this the one? Camera-trap photo of the year 2010 ? editor's choice | BBC Wildlife Magazine (second row, seventh photo from the left) There is another, but sadly of a dead one, in a TRAFFIC report on illegal wildlife trade in Myanmar: www.traffic.org/species-reports/traffic_species_mammals40.pdf
@ Saola - That's it, just a georgeous cat. I have seen older photos of one in a zoo (although not in a naturalistic habitat) so I know there has been at least one in captivity. Boy would I love to see one now and get a good photo of it.
The zoo animal - is it the one in IUCN/SSC Nowell et al. Wild cats: status survey and conservation action plan? Golden cats are indeed fascinating in their colur variations. A while ago, I came upon a photo of a black specimen from Laos, another one or two black ones from Sumatra, and one from Cambodia that appeared dark grey if I remember well.
Yes, the "ocelot morph" golden cat I saw in a zoo photo is from that book. I have also seen the black photo from Laos - it was in some kind of native wildlife facility (maybe a rescue center?). It was supported by a carnivore propogation center in either N or S Carolina (USA) - I forget the name but I think they recently closed - and I believe the photographer (I forget his name too) was somehow affiliated with them. I have also seen a photo of a dark gray one under sedation in a field project in Thailand.
The one from Dr. Lon Grassman's study? That was also a beautiful one. I wish there were more such projects in that part of the world.
What a gorgeous cat in that first link. Agh, I should know better than to click on links to TRAFFIC reports, they make me so sad and angry. At least there's the wonderful BBC pic of a live and so healthy Golden Cat to counterbalance it a little.
