Pampas Cat[1]
Pampas cat with the third pelage type (see text)
Conservation status
Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Felidae
Genus:	Leopardus
Species:	L. pajeros
Binomial name
Leopardus pajeros (Desmarest, 1816)
Pampas cat range map

The Pampas cat (Leopardus pajeros) is a small feline from Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador,^[1] and possibly far southwestern Colombia.^[2] It is named after the Pampas, but occurs in grassland, shrubland, and dry forest at elevations up to 5,000 metres (16,000 ft).^[3]

It has traditionally been included in the colocolo (L. colocolo), but was split primarily based on differences in pelage colour/pattern and cranial measurements.^[3] The split is not supported by genetic work,^[4][5] leading some authorities to maintain it as a subspecies of the colocolo.^[2][6] Confusingly, when the colocolo includes the Pampas cat and Pantanal cat as subspecies, the "combined" species is sometimes referred to as the Pampas cat.^[7]

Pampas cats have not been studied much in the wild and little is known about their hunting habits. There have been reports of the cat hunting rodents and birds at night, and also hunting domestic poultry near farms.^{[citation needed]}

Subspecies[link]

In 2005, Mammal Species of the World recognised 5 subspecies of the Pampas Cat:^[1]

• Leopardus pajeros pajeros (nominate) – southern Chile and widely in Argentina.^[6]
• Leopardus pajeros crespoi – eastern slope of the Andes in northwestern Argentina.^[3]
• Leopardus pajeros garleppi – Andes in Peru.^[3]
• Leopardus pajeros steinbachi – Andes in Bolivia.^[3]
• Leopardus pajeros thomasi – Andes in Ecuador.^[3]

Based on two specimens of the subspecies steinbachi, it is larger and paler than garleppi. However, this is labelled with uncertainty due to the very small sample,^[3] and some treat it as a synonym of garleppi.^[6] Uncertainty also exists for the subspecies budini, which appears to resemble crespoi and was described from lowlands of northwestern Argentina, but may actually be from humid forests in the region.^[3] Some recognise it,^[6] while other do not.^[1] Finally, populations in southern Chile and the southern half of Argentina, included in the nominate in the above list, have been recognised as the subspecies crucinus based on the large size (the largest Pampas cats) and dull pelage (third type, see Description).^[3]

Habitat[link]

Despite being named after the Pampas, the Pampas cat occurs in a wide range of habitats. In northwestern Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador it is found at altitudes between 1,800 and 5,000 metres (5,900 and 16,000 ft) in páramo, marginally also in puna and locally in dry forest.^[3] Where its range overlaps with the Andean mountain cat in northwestern Argentina, it occurs at lower altitudes on average.^[8] In central to northwestern Argentina the Pampas Cat is found at altitudes below 1,240 metres (4,070 ft) in grassland, mesophytic and dry forest, and shrubland.^[3] In southern Argentina and far southern Chile it is found in Patagonian steppes and shrubland at altitudes below 1,100 metres (3,600 ft).^[3]

Description[link]

The Pampas cat is a small, but heavy-set cat. There are significant geographical variations in its size, but the body length is 46 to 75 centimetres (18 to 30 in) and the relatively short tail is 23 to 29 centimetres (9.1 to 11 in).^[3] There are three main variants of its pelage, but all have two dark lines on each cheeks:

• 1) The flanks have large, reddish-brown rosette-shaped spots with darker borders, there are numerous rings on the tail (of the same colour as the flank spots), and the stripes on the legs and spots/stripes on the underparts are very dark brown (almost black).^[3] In colour and patter this group closely resembles Colocolos of the subspecies wolffsohni.^[3]
• 2) Resembles the previous, but the background colour is paler, and the body markings, stripes on the hindlegs, and rings on the tail are paler and less distinct.^[3]
• 3) Overall greyish with distinct dark brown stripes on the legs and spots on the underparts, a plain tail (no clear rings), and at most indistinct dark lines on the flanks.^[3]

Only the first type occurs in the north (around 20th parallel south and northwards), and only the third type occurs in the far south (around 40th parallel south and southwards).^[3] In between the majority are of second type, but the first type has been recorded as far south as 29th parallel south, and the third type as far north as 36th parallel south.^[3] At latitudes where both the first and second type are found, the former tends to occur in highlands and the latter in lowlands.^[3]

There have also been reports of melanistic Pampas cats.^{[citation needed]}

References[link]

Wikispecies has information related to: Pampas cat

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Map of South America, with the pampas encompassing a south-eastern area bordering the Atlantic ocean.

The Pampas (from Quechua pampa, meaning "plain") are fertile South American lowlands, covering more than 750,000 km² (289,577 sq mi), that include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Córdoba, most of Uruguay, and the southernmost Brazilian State, Rio Grande do Sul. These vast plains are a natural region only interrupted by the low Ventana and Tandil hills near Bahía Blanca and Tandil (Argentina), with a height of 1,300 m (4,265 ft) and 500 m (1,640 ft) respectively. The climate is mild, with precipitation of 600 mm (23.6 in) to 1,200 mm (47.2 in), more or less evenly distributed through the year, making the soils appropriate for agriculture. This area is also one of the distinct physiography provinces of the larger Paraná-Paraguay Plain division. These plains contain unique wildlife because of the different terrains around it. Some of this wildlife includes the rhea, the pampas deer, several species of armadillos, the pampas fox, the White-eared opossum, the Elegant Crested Tinamou, and several other species.

Climate[link]

Pampas landscape, at eye level

The climate of the Pampas is generally temperate, gradually giving way to a more tropical climate in the north, and to an arid climate on the west and the south. Summer temperatures are more uniform than winter temperatures, ranging from 20 °C (68 °F) to 32 °C (90 °F) in the north, 17 °C (63 °F) to 30 °C (86 °F) in most of the areas, and from 15 °C (59 °F) to 27 °C (81 °F) along the Atlantic coast. Extremely hot days might reach over 40ºC/104F.

Fall arrives gradually in March, and peaks in April and May. In April, highs will range from 20 to 25 °C (68 to 77 °F) and lows from 9 to 13 °C (48 to 55 °F). The first frosts arrive in mid-April in the south, and in late May or early June in the north.

Winters are generally mild, although cold waves do occur. Normal temperatures range from 12 to 19 °C (54 to 66 °F) during the day, and from 1 to 6 °C (34 to 43 °F) at night. With strong northerly winds, days of over 25 °C (77 °F) can be recorded almost everywhere, whereas during cold waves, high temperatures can be only 6ºC (43F). Frost occurs everywhere in the Pampas, although it is much more frequent in the southwest, and less so around the Parana and Uruguay rivers. Temperatures under −5 °C (23 °F) can occur everywhere, whereas values of −10 °C (14 °F) or lower are confined to the south and west. Snow never falls in the northernmost third, and is rare and light elsewhere, except for exceptional events where depths have reached 30 cm (12 inches).

Springs are very variable, it is warmer than fall in most areas (especially in the west) but significantly colder along the Atlantic. Violent storms are more common, as well as wide temperature variations: days of 35 °C (95 °F) can give way to nights of under 5 °C (41 °F) or even frost, all within the same week.

Precipitation ranges from 1,200 millimetres (47 in) in the northeast, to about 500 millimetres (20 in) in the southern and western edges. In the west, it is highly seasonal, with some places recording averages of 120 millimetres (4.7 in) monthly in the summer, and only 20 millimetres (0.8 in) monthly in the winter. The eastern areas have small peaks in the fall and in the spring, with relatively rainy summers and winters that are only slightly drier. However, where summer rain falls as short, heavy storms, winter rain falls mostly as cold drizzle, so that the amount of rainy days is fairly constant. Violent thunderstorms are common in the spring and summer, bringing heavy rain, hail, winds and even tornadoes.

Vegetation[link]

Frequent wildfires ensure that only small plants such as grasses flourish, and trees are rare. The dominant vegetation types are grassy prairie and grass steppe in which numerous species of the grass genus Stipa are particularly conspicuous. "Pampas Grass" (Cortaderia selloana) is an iconic species of the Pampas. Vegetation typically includes perennial grasses and herbs. Different strata of grasses occur because of gradients of water availability.

The World Wildlife Fund divides the Pampas into three distinct ecoregions. The Uruguayan Savannah lies east of the Uruguay River, and includes all of Uruguay and the southern portion of Brazil's state of Rio Grande do Sul. The Humid Pampas include eastern Buenos Aires Province, and southern Entre Ríos Province. The Semi-arid Pampas includes western Buenos Aires Province and adjacent portions of Santa Fe, Córdoba, and La Pampa provinces. The Pampas are bounded by the drier Argentine espinal grasslands, which form a semicircle around the north, east, and south of the Humid Pampas.

Winters are cool to mild and summers are very warm and humid. Rainfall is fairly uniform throughout the year but is a little heavier during the summer. Annual rainfall is heaviest near the coast and decreases gradually further inland. Rain during the late spring and summer usually arrives in the form of brief heavy showers and thunderstorms. More general rainfall occurs the remainder of the year as cold fronts and storm systems move through. Although cold spells during the winter often send nighttime temperatures below freezing, snow is quite rare. In most winters, a few light snowfalls occur over inland areas.

Central Argentina boasts a successful agricultural business, with crops grown on the Pampas south and west of Buenos Aires. Much of the area is also used for cattle and more recently to grow vineyards in the Buenos Aires wine region. These farming regions are particularly susceptible to flooding during heavy rainfall.

View of the northern Pampas grain belt

Lake Gómez, near Junín, in the heart of the Pampas grain belt. The Pampa extends from the foothills of the Andes Mountains on the west to the Atlantic Ocean on the east. The region is peppered with finger lakes, holdovers from the last Ice Ages.

Al Este Bodega y Viñedos in Médanos, located in the Southern tip of the Buenos Aires province 40 km (25 mi) away from Bahía Blanca.

See also[link]

• Humid Pampa
• Dry Pampa
• Pampas Republic
• Gaucho
• Médanos wines
• Médanos (dunes)
• Estancia
• Rio Grande do Sul

External links[link]

• Encyclopaedia Britannica
• The Pampas
• Encyclopedia.com
• Climate Impacts
• Centres of Plant Diversity
• Climate Guide to South America
• Humid Pampas (World Wildlife Fund)
• Semi-arid Pampas (World Wildlife Fund)

Coordinates: 35°S 62°W / 35°S 62°W / -35; -62