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A Worrying New Trait Has Appeared in an Isolated Cat Species on a Japanese Island : ScienceAlert (opens in a new tab)

sciencealert.com · 2026-09-12

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The source study

Genome-wide assessment of suspected domestic cat introgression in the critically endangered Tsushima leopard cat

Global Ecology and Conservation · 2026
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Claim 1 of 4Not checkedOn Tsushima Island in Japan, a tiny population of Tsushima leopard cats is critically endangered, with only around 100 individuals believed to exist.View evidenceHide evidence

As statedaround 100 individuals

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The source study was found, but this claim couldn't be checked against it.

Claim 2 of 4Not checkedDuring field observations in 2024 and 2025, researchers spotted three leopard cats with much shorter tails, around half the usual average length, and the trait had never been reported in this or any other leopard cat population.View evidenceHide evidence

As statedthree leopard cats; around half the usual average length

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Claim 3 of 4Not checkedResearchers genetically analyzed one short-tailed leopard cat and reported no sign of recent crossbreeding with domestic cats, including in tests focused on genes linked to short tails in domestic cats.View evidenceHide evidence

As statedone short-tailed leopard cat

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Claim 4 of 4Not checkedThe team says the cause of the short tails remains unclear, with possible explanations including rare developmental problems, injury, ancient or very low-level hybridization, or inbreeding, but they saw no evidence that the studied cat was more inbred than the others.View evidenceHide evidence

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Genome-wide assessment of suspected domestic cat introgression in the critically endangered Tsushima leopard cat

Global Ecology and Conservation · 2026

Source record (opens in a new tab)

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Crossref, PubMed · 15 candidate papers

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Genome-wide assessment of suspected domestic cat introgression in the critically endangered Tsushima leopard cat

Global Ecology and Conservation · 2026 · Crossref

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And 9 more candidates considered.