Pampas cat  (Oncifelis colocolo)

This little known South American cat can be found in a greater variety of habitats than any other cat on the continent. It looks like a robust domestic cat, with a broad face, amber eyes and distinctive pointy ears (4). The ears are black or grey on the back, with a silvery grey spot in the centre, and two conspicuous stripes run from the eyes, across the cheeks and meet beneath the throat (4) (6). The colour, pattern and texture of the pampas cat's coat varies considerably throughout its wide range. The background colour varies from yellowish white to greyish brown to silvery grey, and can be soft, short and vividly patterned, or long, coarse and virtually unmarked (4). In fact, these geographical differences are so pronounced it has been proposed that the pampas cat is actually three species. Genetic studies are underway to determine if this is correct (3). Generally, the forelimbs and hindlimbs have distinctive brown bands, and the short, bushy tail has fairly indistinct brown or black rings. Long hairs on the back, which can be up to 7 cm long, stand erect when the cat is nervous or frightened, creating an appearance of being much larger than they actually are. In Argentina and Chile, the pampas cat is known as the “gato pajero” or grass cat, pajero being the local name for pampas grass, one of the habitats in which it lives (4).