No such thing as Nipponese wildcat or Honshu dhole

Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus photo © Pontafon
No such thing as Nipponese wildcat or Honshu dhole

Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis photo © Momotarou2012

One of the greatest mysteries of mammalian biogeography is the absence of any species of wild felid from most of the Japanese archipelago, the main islands of which are large enough to have supported several other carnivores including small subspecies of the wolf. For that matter, it is also a puzzle why it was the wolf that succeeded in Japan rather than the dhole, which is the smaller species and more suited to these mountainous islands.

Robin and the Honey Badger, 22 March 2016