A diagnosis for the Scottish wildcat: a tool for conservation

Faced with rampant hybridization between Scottish wildcats and domestic cats, this study developed a pelage-based scoring system to distinguish genuine wildcats from hybrids and feral domestic cats. The authors defined a set of coat characters, such as stripe shape, tail banding, and dorsal line, and combined them into a diagnostic score that separates wildcats from introgressed individuals. The method gave conservationists a practical, field-applicable tool for identifying animals worth protecting amid a hybrid swarm. Beyond its applied value, the work addressed the taxonomic problem of defining a critically endangered felid population whose genetic integrity is eroding through interbreeding. It exemplifies how taxonomy and conservation intersect, since deciding what counts as a Scottish wildcat is essential to saving it from genetic absorption by domestic cats.