Threatened Species of the Day Website from IUCN

To coincide with the International Year of Biodiversity 2010, to increase awareness of the huge variety of life and to raise the profile of threatened species, IUCN has launched The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species “Species of the Day”.

Each day in 2010, a different species will be featured as Species of the Day on the IUCN and IUCN Red List websites. The species will be selected from across all taxa, representing all regions and detailing the threats to their existence.
Three cat species have been nominated for inclusion by the IUCN Cat Specialist Group. They have selected a small cat from Asia, Africa and South America.

The African golden cat will be profiled this week on Wednesday 27 January, and the marbled cat on Wednesday 3 February 2010. You will find the profiles here. Be sure to check it out to learn more about the world's most threatened species.

More Clouded Leopards Identified in Borneo Project

Andy Hearn and Joanna Ross report that they have identified another individual Sunda clouded leopard through their camera trapping study in Sabah, Borneo's Tabin National Park. Through their photos, they can now identify at least 6 males and 2 females within their study area.

Andy and Jo have compiled a photo comparison of the cats to illustrate the unique spot pattern each has - the method by which the researchers identify individual animals. They note that they are seeing less variability in the coats of Tabin's cats and wonder if this may be a result of reduced genetic variability in the population.

For more information, visit their blog post.

Call for Clouded Leopard Project Grants

I'd like to announce that the Clouded Leopard Project is now accepting grant applications for projects supporting research and conservation efforts benefiting clouded leopards and associated Southeast Asian small felids. The application form can be found on the website. Proposals are due March 5, 2010.