🧬 The Felid Wiki — 3,000 research summaries

The Iberian lynx recovery was sustained by a series of large, multi-year conservation projects supported substantially by the European Union's LIFE program, which financed breeding, reintroduction, ha…

Beyond cancer, FeLV frequently causes severe nonregenerative anemia and broader bone marrow suppression, making hematologic disease a leading cause of death in infected cats. The subgroup C variant sp…

This overview synthesizes a body of GPS-telemetry research that transformed understanding of puma ecology by intensively visiting location clusters to study predation, competition, and social behavior…

N-mixture models estimate abundance from repeated counts of unmarked animals at multiple sites by separating true abundance from imperfect detection, assuming counts arise from a binomial sampling of…

Following the Bronx Zoo tigers, SARS-CoV-2 infections were confirmed in big cats at zoos and sanctuaries across multiple countries, including additional tigers, lions, snow leopards, pumas and others.…

This overview describes the integrated collar architecture that combined GPS with an inertial measurement unit of accelerometers and magnetometers to study puma movement and energetics at fine resolut…

This overview describes how field teams located collared cats before satellite positioning existed, relying on VHF beacons and directional antennas. Ground observers took compass bearings from multipl…

Zooniverse hosts citizen-science projects, such as Snapshot Serengeti and its successors, where volunteers worldwide classify camera-trap images, collectively processing millions of photos that would…

Cats possess paired anal sacs that produce a strongly scented secretion thought to contribute to individual odor identity and communication. This overview surveys what is known about these secretions,…

Molecular studies consistently show that African leopards, despite occupying a vast and varied continent, harbor relatively shallow genetic structure compared with the deep splits separating Asian for…

Behaviour offers a rich, non-invasive window into felid welfare, but interpreting it requires care. This overview surveys the behavioural signs used to assess captive cats: stereotypic pacing and rout…

This overview examines the strictly nocturnal lifestyle of the black-footed cat, drawn from radio-telemetry in the Karoo. Individuals emerge after dusk to hunt and patrol, covering substantial distanc…

This overview examines bobcat spatial ecology, drawn from extensive telemetry research. Bobcats maintain home ranges that vary widely with prey density, habitat, and sex, with males ranging more widel…

This overview examines studies of genetic diversity and population structure within the cave lion, based on ancient DNA from specimens spanning the species' range and time depth. Such analyses have re…

This overview examines depictions of cave lions in Upper Paleolithic art, most famously the powerful panel of lions at Chauvet Cave in France, along with engravings and figurines from across Ice Age E…

Circuit theory, which models animal movement as electrical current flowing across a resistance surface, has become a standard tool for mapping connectivity for wide-ranging cats. This overview surveys…

Citizen science underpins much large-scale camera-trap work, from running cameras to classifying images, but harnessing volunteers reliably requires attention to data quality and sustained engagement.…

This overview synthesises evidence that fortified, predator-proof livestock enclosures deliver benefits beyond stopping depredation, including improved livestock health, reduced theft, and easier mana…

Wild lions infected with feline immunodeficiency virus often carry additional pathogens, raising the possibility that FIV-related immune changes interact with co-infections. This overview surveys rese…

Wild felids rarely carry a single pathogen, and interactions among co-infecting agents can determine whether infection is benign or deadly. This overview surveys the concept of co-infection synergy in…

Coat colour can affect heat balance, and this overview reviews how dark and light fur interact with thermal load in cats. Darker coats absorb more solar radiation and may warm faster in sun, while lig…

The remote, transnational range of Pallass cat has spurred coordinated research efforts, and this overview reviews their contribution. Collaborative initiatives bringing together field biologists, zoo…

In induced-ovulating felids the chance that mating triggers ovulation rises with the number and spacing of copulations, suggesting a threshold of cumulative stimulation that the female's neuroendocrin…

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed a web of animal infections, with cats among the susceptible species alongside mink, ferrets and others. This overview surveys cross-species SARS-CoV-2 dynamics relevant…

Cats rarely face climate change in isolation; it interacts with habitat loss, fragmentation, hunting, disease, and conflict to produce cumulative impacts greater than any single threat. This overview…

The same species that lives solitarily where prey is scarce forms dense colonies where food concentrates, and this flexibility makes the cat a model for density-dependent sociality. This overview surv…

Ambush predators must judge the distance to prey accurately before striking, and pupil shape can influence the depth cues available. This overview surveys the proposal that vertical-slit pupils create…

Long-term study of marked lions has shown that many animals carry antibodies to canine distemper virus without dying, raising questions about when infection is lethal. This overview surveys research d…

A cat's ears reveal where its attention lies, swiveling toward sounds of interest even when the head and eyes are still. This overview surveys how ear orientation serves as a readout of auditory atten…

Beyond discriminating emotional expressions, cats may absorb or respond to their owners' emotional states, a phenomenon related to emotional contagion. This overview surveys research probing whether c…