The Andean Cat Is One Of The Rarest And Least-Known Cats In The World

The legs also have dark and narrower blotches or stripes, but they don't form complete rings. Large feet are marked with blackish bars and spots, and the soles are greyish-brown. Their magnificent tail is about 70% as long as the head body length. Because the tail's underside has hair as long and as thick as the upper side, it appears perfectly round. It is ringed with six to nine dark bands, and has a black tip. This long tail is probably an aid to balance when hunting in rocky habitat. It is likely also used for warmth, wrapping it around the body when asleep, tucking the nose inside. There is no variation between the fur colour of males or females, but differences between juvenile and adult specimens have been found. The juveniles have a lighter colouration and more and smaller blotches, which means the young can be confused much more easily with Pampas Cats Leopardus colocolo.