Andean Mountain Cats were first described to science in 1865, but it was not until 1980 that a positive sighting was made when two scientists observed and photographed this rare cat for two hours. The scientists had done field work in the area over 30 times with no sightings, indicating this cat's scarcity and ability to hide among rocks and vegetation. In 1999, a second set of pictures were finally taken of this elusive cat by a biologist in Chile. Some scientists speculate that the Andean mountain cat is closely related to Geoffroy’s cat Oncifelis geoffroyi or the pampas cat Oncifelis colocolo, and may be mistakenly identified as a pampas cat.

About twice the size of a domestic cat, Andean mountain cats are one of the most beautiful of all wild cats, and are the only small wild cat with stripes. Extremely thick, plush fur of silvery grey is very fine and soft, up to 5 cm long on the back. Indistinctly patterned with rusty rosette-like spots on the sides, there are conspicuous dark bands extending around the body, and the underside is pale with dark spots. Prominent dark grey bars also run across the chest and forelegs. As in the Pallas cat Octocolobus manul from the Himalayas, their fur is likely very thick on the stomach. The backs of the large, rounded ears are dark grey, and the nose is black. The stout legs have large feet marked with blackish bars and spots, and the soles are greyish-brown. Their magnificent tail is about two thirds of the body length, and because the underside has hair as long and as thick as the upper side, it appears perfectly round. It is ringed with five to eight dark bands, and has a black tip. The tail is probably used for warmth, wrapping it around the body when asleep, and tucking their nose inside.

These cats are found on the high Andes of southern Peru, central and western Bolivia and northwestern Argentina and Chile. They are apparently very specialized in their habitat requirements, having been found only in the rocky arid and semi arid zones above the timber line, up to 4,000 metres. Vegetation consists mainly of small scattered dwarf shrubs and clumps of bunch grass, with numerous rock piles and boulders.

Essentially nothing is known of the biology or behaviour of these cats. The most detailed observation was made at 4,250 metres. A single cat was followed on foot for more than two hours during the late morning at a distance of 15 to 50 metres, showing no fear of humans. It drank from melting ice, and moved to sit on a prominent rock. A grey fox ran from the cat. The cat travelled further and rested in the shadows on a rocky hillside before moving out of sight.

They are reported to hunt mountain chinchillas (nocturnal) and mountain viscachas (diurnal). The mountain cat’s range appears to coincide with the original distribution of these large rodent species, whose strategy to escape predators involves making unpredictable changes of direction by bounding off rock faces. The long tail of the mountain cat is probably an aid to balance when chasing these rodents, much like that of the cheetah Acinonyx jubatus or snow leopard Uncia uncia. Birds, reptiles and other small rodents may also be taken.

Nothing is known of the biology of these cats, and there are no records of any ever having been kept in captivity.

While there have been no significant changes in land use of the high Andes over the last 2,000 years - if anything, the human population has decreased - grazing by goats, sheep and other animals can lead to reduced densities of the large rodents. There are no records of international trade in mountain cat pelts.

It is possible that Andean mountain cats are rare because they have evolved to be a specialized predator of chinchillids. Both mountain chinchillas and mountain viscachas have naturally patchy distributions, living in small colonies around cliffs and boulders. Viscachas are declining locally outside of reserves due to subsistence hunting, and chinchillas have been hunted to the brink of extinction. If these cats have specialized to prey on these rodents, widespread extinction of their colonies must have had disastrous effects. On the other hand, if they are not specialist predators, other prey species are abundant in the area, and its rarity must be attributed to other factors.

It is not clear whether the apparent rarity of this species is a natural phenomenon, attributable to human actions, or a misconception from lack of observations. The World Conservation Union Cat Specialist Group has placed an urgent priority on field studies for this species to answer these and other questions concerning this rarest of wild cats. Andean Mountain cats are protected over all of their range, and CITES has placed them on Appendix I.

See our Photo Gallery page for Andean Mountain cat pictures from the researchers.