g'Day all
Having spent a considerable amount of time in the Kimberley and Gulf of
Carpentaria since the early 1970s, it has always struck me as
interesting to observe the more uniform consistently smaller tabby
appearance of many feral cats seen north of the tropic of Capricorn,
compared to the generally larger and diverse coloured animals seen in
southern areas such as Simpson and Strzelecki deserts. These northern
cats appear to have the consistent appearance of a wild species compared
to the mixed up look of domestic animals typically gone wild.
I once read a paper suggesting there was a close DNA link between
Kimberley feral cats and those found in Sulawesi Indonesia and
suggesting cats were in Australia long before the First Fleet. It was
implied that Macassan traders who sought trepang (sea cucumbers) off
Australia's northern coast some 500 years before the First Fleet had
brought cats here.
It may not be a popular theory that cats have been on mainland Australia
for many hundreds of years. However it is probably true and
irrespective of the fact that they take native prey, the major
ecological impacts have probably long passed.
I can't remember the paper with certainty but I have seen a reference
that I think was it.
Baldwin JA (1980) The domestic cat, Felis catus L. in the Pacific
Islands. Carnivore Genetics Newsletter 4, 57-66.
I would be interested in a copy of the paper if anyone has access to it.
Regards
Ian May
In smoky St Helens, Tasmania
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