Andean Mountain Cat

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Subfamily: Felinae
Genus: Leopardus
Species: Leopardus jacobita

Andean Mountain Cat Conservation Status: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/15452/0

The Andean Mountain Cat is also known as the Snow Leopard of the Andes. It lives in the high altitude regions of Bolivia, Peru, and Chile. It is found in the scrublands at the base of mountains and then all the way up beyond the treeline to 4900m (16,000 ft).

The Andean Mountain Cat is a small wild cat (only a little larger than a Domestic Cat) but they have long bushy tails (70% of their body length). Their extra large tail provides counterbalance while leaping and climbing mountainous terrain. It has a buff base of fur and is covered in irregular dark rusty red spots and stripes.

The Andean Mountain Cat lives in such remote habitat not much is known about it but it probably subsists primarily on mountain Chinchilla (and a close relative, the Vischacha) as well as other little creatures it can find in its alpine habitat.

More wild cats here