IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Pires, A.E.; Fernandes, M.L. | |
| Last lynxes in Portugal? Molecular approaches in a pre-extinction scenario | |
| 2003 Conservation Genetics (4): 525-532 | |
The Iberian lynx is the most threatened felid in the world and has suffered a decline throughout its range. Effective monitoring of the species' presence is essential. Fieldwork in previously identified areas of lynx occurrence in Portugal has resulted in the collection of 104 possible lynx scats. Recently, there has been little or no evidence of lynx presence and scats could be confused with others from more abundant carnivores such as wildcat, fox and dog. In order to confirm or not exclude the presence of the species, identification of scats was performed through the amplification of lynx-specific mitochondrial DNA sequences. Two samples collected in Malcata Natural Reserve in 1997 were identified as lynx. This is the most recent and reliable proof of lynx presence in Portugal. Given the territorial behavior of lynx, stable resident populations would have produced a higher proportion of positively identified scats. Local extinctions might have taken place, and this genetic data supports a suspected national preextinction scenario for the species. Genetic analysis using a non-invasive approach has proved to be an informative part of the lynx monitoring program. Technical problems faced and overcome are also presented. |
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(c) IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group ( IUCN - The World Conservation Union) |