Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis

The Iriomote cat (Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis) is a subspecies of the leopard cat that lives exclusively on the Japanese island of Iriomote. It has been listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2008, as the only population comprises fewer than 250 adult individuals and is considered declining. As of 2007, there were an estimated 100–109 individuals remaining. In Japanese, it is called Iriomote-yamaneko (西表山猫, 'Iriomote mountain cat'). In local dialects of the Yaeyama language, it is known as yamamayaa (ヤママヤー, 'the cat in the mountain'), yamapikaryaa (ヤマピカリャー, 'that which shines on the mountain'), and meepisukaryaa (メーピスカリャー, 'that which has flashing eyes'). The fur of the Iriomote cat is mostly dark gray and light brown, with lighter hair on the belly and insides of the limbs. Hair along the jaw is white. There are two dark brown spots on each cheek. There are 5–7 stripes spanning from the forehead to the back of the head, but, unlike the leopard cat, the stripes stop before reaching the shoulders. Dark brown spots cover the sides of the body, and there are 3–4 bands of irregular stripes on the chest. The tail is dark brown; darker spots pattern the back side of the tail while the underside of the tail is solid. The tip of the tail is dark. The tips of the ears are rounded, with black hair along the edge. There are no tufts of longer hair on the top of the ears. Adult Iriomote cats have a white spot on the back of each ear, much like those found on tigers' ears. Young Iriomote cats do not have these marks, and even as adults the spots will not be as white as those seen on other leopard cat subspecies. The Iriomote cat's eyes are a light amber color. Its nose is large and flat, with no fur covering the reddish-brown skin. The paw ranges from 29–37 mm (1.1–1.5 in) wide, in contrast to the 24–30 mm (0.94–1.18 in) wide paw of a domestic cat. The skull is longer and more narrow than that of a domestic cat. When compared to the leopard cat's skull, the Iriomote cat's is roughly the same size but thicker. Because of this, the Iriomote cat's brain is smaller; a male leopard cat's brain is about 42 grams, whereas a male Iriomote cat's brain is about 30 grams. The occipital bone of the skull and the auditory capsule are not connected. The mandibular symphysis is short. Male Iriomote cats grow to be 50–60 cm (20–24 in) long and weigh 3.5–5 kg (7.7–11.0 lb). Females are smaller at about 50–55 cm (20–22 in) long and 3–3.5 kg (6.6–7.7 lb). Their tails are thick from base to tip and 23–24 cm (9.1–9.4 in) long. They have long torsos and short, thick limbs. Their necks are also thick, and their shoulders are muscular, though their jumping power is comparatively weak. Unlike other small cats, their spines cannot bend sharply. The Iriomote cat has six pairs of incisors, two pairs of canine teeth, four pairs of premolars, and two pairs of molars for a total of 28 teeth. Compared to other cats, including small wild cats, the Iriomote cat is lacking one pair of premolars on the top jaw behind the canines. In addition to this, unlike most other subtropical mammals, Iriomote cats' teeth give details about their year-to-year history. It is expected that these details will help determine the age and behavior of the cats.