Prionailurus iriomotensis Imaizumi 1967

Prionailurus iriomotensis Imaizumi 1967, J. Mammal. Soc. Japan, 3: 75.

Type Locality: "Haimida, Iriomote".

Vernacular Names: Iriomote Cat.

Distribution: Japan (Iriomote Isl.).

Conservation: CITES – Appendix II; U.S. ESA and IUCN – Endangered as P. bengalensis iriomotensis .

Discussion: Petzsch (1970), Glass and Todd (1977), Hemmer (1978), Groves (1982 a), Herrington (1986), and Johnson et al. (1999) argued that differences only warranted subspecific status and separation of iriomotensis from bengalensis may make some populations of bengalensis paraphyletic. Suzuki et al. (1994 a), Masuda et al. (1994), and Leyhausen and Pfleiderer (1994, 1999) presented evidence that it should be considered distinct from other bengalensis . It should probably be best considered incertae sedis.