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

The Andean cat is one of the rarest and least-known cats in the world. It lives high in the Andes Mountains and Patagonian steppe, where food is scarce and weather conditions are extreme. This small, sturdy cat is difficult to find—there have been only ten recorded sightings in 25 years—and even harder to study.

The Andean cats are specialized in their habitat requirements, having been found in the rocky arid and semi arid zones of the Andes. Vegetation consists mainly of small scattered dwarf shrubs and clumps of bunch grass, with numerous rocks and boulders. Valleys with patchily distributed rock walls are the preferred habitat. Rock piles and boulders are the only type of cover available at such altitudes and are also important for its main prey species. The habitat of the Andean cat is naturally fragmented. Because of the uneven distribution of its prey, it is quite patchily distributed and populations are not connected.