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Seasonality and reproduction in wild-living cats in Scotland

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Abstract

The definition of the wildcatFelis silvestris Schreber, 1775 in Scotland is contentious, in light of long-term interbreeding with domestic catsF. catus Linnaeus, 1758. Two morphological groupings (Group 1 and Group 2) have previously been proposed to explain the variation found in wild-living cats in Scotland, with Group 1 cats closest to wildcats and Group 2 cats to domestic cats. Data from the reproductive tracts of 185 wild-living cat carcasses and evidence of reproductive activity in 31 live cats were analysed in order to compare reproductive activity between the morphological groups, and in relation to seasonality and existing data on wildcats and domestic cats. For males, Group 2 cats had a greater mean relative testes size than Group 1 cats. Estimated from corpora lutea, there was a suggestion that Group 1 females showed more seasonality in oestrous than Group 2 cats. In all wild-living cats, the mean litter size was 4.3 and estimated birth dates were throughout the year, but least in winter. A high number of pseudopregnancies were recorded. The results were consistent with the hypothesis that Group 2 cats are closer to domestic cats. However, the variation observed in the sample of wild-living cats reported here, suggested that reproduction was neither strictly seasonal nor outside the range observed in some feral cat populations.

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Author notes

  1. Mike J. Daniels

    Present address: Animal Ecology in Grazed Ecosystems Programme, The Macaulay Institute, Craigiebuckler, AB15 8QH, Aberdeen, UK

  2. Tino C. M. Wright

    Present address: , 5078 Mission Blvd, 92109, San Diego, CA, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX1 3PS, Oxford, UK

    Mike J. Daniels

  2. Institute of Cell and Population Biology, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, EH9 3JT, Edinburgh, UK

    Tino C. M. Wright

  3. Department of Preclinical Veterinary Studies, Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Sumerhall, EH9 1QH, Edinburgh

    Keith P. Bland

  4. Department of Geology and Zoology, National Museums of Scotland, Chambers Street, EH1 1JF, Edinburgh

    Andrew C. Kitchener

Authors
  1. Mike J. Daniels
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  2. Tino C. M. Wright
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  3. Keith P. Bland
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  4. Andrew C. Kitchener
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Correspondence to Mike J. Daniels.

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Daniels, M.J., Wright, T.C.M., Bland, K.P. et al. Seasonality and reproduction in wild-living cats in Scotland. Acta Theriol 47, 73–84 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03193568

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03193568

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