binnenwerk 48-2-2005 - De Zoogdiervereniging

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$H:\AB-Zm\Telganger\Definitieve versies\1998-1999 ... - Zoogdierwinkel$

ecorded evidence we cannot confirm these observations(however see below, under the heading‘Possible origin’).Recent, but uncertain, records from theNetherlands and adjacent areas in Germanyand BelgiumOur investigations have led us to unearth somemore unverified records (see also table 2):● On 11 March 1995 a road casualty cat wasfound near Maasbree (province of Limburg).The marbled pattern, massive body, weight(5.5 kg), black tipped tail with five rings (althoughtapered), large head, pink nose leatherand conspicuously white whiskers all indicateda wildcat. Its external measurements were:head and body length 52 cm; tail length 31cm; hind foot length 12 cm (excluding nails);hind foot width: >35 mm; ear length 52 mm. Ithad a light cream coloured, not sharply delimited,bib. As the cat had small testicles and thecanine teeth showed no wear it was probably ayoung animal. Since the tail length was >50%of the head and body length, it was assumed atthe time to be a hybrid, following Halthenorth(1957). However, Schauenberg (1977) andPiechocki (1990) have shown that relative taillength is not a distinguishing characteristic.Most wildcats have tails that measure morethan half of the head and body length. Nosamples were collected for later internal investigationor DNA analysis.● On 1 March 2001 a road casualty cat was foundat Stramproy (province of Limburg). GerardMüskens and one of the authors (H. Jansman)(both Alterra, Wageningen University and ResearchCentre) performed an autopsy on thebody. It was an adult male, tabby-coloured cat,head and body length 51.2 cm; tail length 27cm; hind foot length (inclusive nail): 11.8 cm;ear length: 58 mm; length of intestinal tract:161 cm; skull: concave glabella, i.e. a hollowbehind the nasal bones; tail: rather thick, but tapered.The conclusion of the autopsy reportread: “Characteristics of wildcat: tail width,partly coat colour; characteristics of hybrid orferal domestic cat: tail length, head and bodylength, colour pattern and length of hind foot.”Samples were retained for later investigation.● On 7 November 2004 a rather robust cat wasobserved in the Millingerwaard near Nijmegen.The animal had a bushy, more or lessblunt tail with a black tip and a number of blackrings and was extremely shy (see also: Wijsman1998). Notably this location is close towhere the Groenlanden cat was later found (seebelow); approximately eight kilometres furthereast along the river Waal and within the sameextensive rough and diverse riverbank habitatthat lies between Nijmegen and the Germanborder.We have been unable to positively identify anyrecent records of wildcat in the area of Germanybetween the Dutch Province of Limburg and theRhine (M. Trinzen – Biostation Euskirchen, Eifel,personal communication; R. Hutterer – UniversitätBonn, personal communication). In Belgium,the Flemish Institute for Forestry andGame Management has, since 1996, been systematicallycollecting dead carnivores. It has beenasked on several occasions to identify a possiblewildcat. However, each time it concluded that itwas not a wildcat. These conclusions were basedon a combination of characteristics: coat colour,tail, lower jaw, skull sutures, and glabella (K. VanDen Berge, personal communication).Records of wildcat in theNetherlands since 1995The cat found at Groenlanden, nearNijmegenOn 13 June 1999 a dead cat was found nearGroenlanden, a hamlet near Nijmegen (see alsotable 2). On the spot photographs were taken ofthe corpse, which show the following characteristics(see: photographs 2 and 3): the body isbulky to robust; there is a faint striping of thecoat, which looks thick and long-haired; the tailis thick and blunt and it has a black tip and 3-474 Canters et al. / Lutra 2005 48 (2): 67-90
Table 2. Uncertain and certain records of wildcats (Felis silvestris) in the Netherlands since 1995.Status Date Type RD-coordinates Sex Most striking and / or Material Observerof record convincing features (for collectedmore details see text)uncertain 11 III 1995 road casualty 198/374 coat pattern, tail, no Annemarie van Diepenbeekbody size, whiskers,nose leather1 III 2001 road casualty 174/356 coat pattern (however collection Alterra, Theo van den Berkmortelexternal sizes indicate Wageningendomestic cat) Universityand ResearchCentre7 XI 2004 sighting 196/431 ? tail, size, behaviour – Martin van Lokvencertain 13 VI 1999 found dead 191/431 ? intracranial volume, skull (private Kor Goutbeeklower jaw collection)1 XI 2002 road casualty 197/308 coat pattern, external skin (collection no longer traceablemeasures Klaas Arends,Heerlen)1 III 2004 caught and 169/376 DNA pattern some hair Mari de Bijl (Landscape ofsamples Brabant Trust) and Anne-(collection A. van marie van Diepenbeek releasedDiepenbeek,Veghel)Canters et al. / Lutra 2005 48 (2): 67-90 75
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Page 10 and 11: lack rings; the muzzle has a light
Page 12 and 13: Photograph 6. Tail of the wildcat (
Page 14 and 15: light coloured; the muzzle was whit
Page 16 and 17: could not find a territory to occup
Page 18 and 19: and mentions that it is difficult t
Page 20 and 21: Bree, P.J.H. van 1959. De kat uit H
Page 22 and 23: turschutz in Bayern, München, Germ
Page 24: ing in 2004: wilde katten, bastaard

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