Scottish Wildcat Action - Monitoring and Surveys - Data 2013-2020
NatureScot
Description
The dataset comprises records of native wildcat, wildcat/domestic cat hybrids, and feral domestic cats within six designated Priority Areas (PAs) and more widely, collected using baited camera trap surveys, collection of road casualty cats, live-trapping of cats during 'trap neuter vaccinate and return' (TNVR, non-wildcats) or for genetic screening and collaring (wildcats), and through the collection of public sightings, road casualty specimens, standardised camera trap surveys and live-trapping. Across the project years (including data collected outwith standardised surveys) a total of 31 individual wildcats, 162 individual hybrids and 151 individual domestic cats, excluding known pets were detected. Overall, hybrid and domestic cats together outnumbered wildcats 10:1. Only two wildcats were detected outside PAs during camera surveys.
The data was collected by Scottish Wildcat Action (SWA) from 2015-2020, managed by NatureScot, and work was carried out by various partner organisations.
Geographic Description
The records in this dataset relate to Scotland. National records were collected through public sightings data from across Scotland. Road casualty specimens collected by the public or stakeholders, and standardised camera trap surveys led by project partners, covered the near-historical range of the wildcat in Scotland. Project-led surveys and live-trapping focused on six Priority Areas within the wildcatís known range in the Scottish Highlands, selected following recommendations from Littlewood et al. (2014).
Purpose
Following publication of the Scottish Wildcat Conservation Action Plan (SWCAP) in 2013, Scottish Wildcat Action (SWA) continued monitoring and surveying of wildcat populations in six Priority Areas to increase knowledge of hybridisation and genetic diversity, as well as disease. Habitat quality and prey availability were assessed, and recommendations made for reintroduction sites.
Data quality
For in-situ conservation, wildcats were distinguished from hybrids and domestic cats based on a standardised visual assessment of pelage characters, with cats scoring 17-21 on the 'Kitchener 7PC pelage score' classified as ëwildcatí. This threshold is lower than the recommended 'strict' definition of 19/21 proposed by Kitchener et al. (2005) but was deemed precautionary. Individual cats were pelage-scored from photos (and sometimes video) by two trained independent observers, and classified as wildcat (17+), hybrid (pelage score 10.5-16) or domestic cat (pelage score below 10.5). Genetic samples provided additional complementary information regarding wildcat identification, but could not be used to direct the immediate decision-making required in the field, hence all population data reported here is based on the pelage system.
Species identification was confirmed via DNA from scats collected during field survey. Scats from which identifiable DNA could not be extracted are excluded from the dataset.
Recent pine marten records provided by a variety of recording organisations, land managers, researchers and naturalists are included in the dataset only if confirmed or probable. Records classed as unconfirmed/possible are excluded from the dataset.
Methods
Standardised camera trap surveys were conducted over winter in year one (2015-16) for all PAs excluding Morvern, year two (2016-17) for Morvern, and repeated winter surveys in year three (2017-18) for the Angus Glens, Strathbogie, Strathpeffer and Strathspey. In each Priority Area during standardised surveys, between 60 and 142 baited camera traps were set out for over 60 days each. Additional targeted surveys were conducted in all PAs at other times, with the main aim of locating cats for trapping. In total, there were 50,644 camera-trap days on standardised PA surveys, 35,755 camera-trap days on targeted surveys and over 10,492 camera-trap days on surveys outside priority areas, collecting over one million images and videos. 228 cats were live-trapped, including 20 wildcats, and 13 hair samples and two saliva samples were obtained through non-invasive means. A further 58 samples (mostly hair) were obtained from live cats not captured by the project, including from five wildcats. Samples were obtained from 51 cats killed on roads.
Citation
Campbell, R.D., Langridge, K., Kilshaw, K., Carus, H., Hislop, C., Rawling, E., and Tallach, N. (2023). Scottish Wildcat Action final report: Monitoring and Surveys. NatureScot, Inverness
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Looking up... the number of records that can be accessed through the NBN Atlas. This resource was last checked for updated data on 18 Sep 2023. The most recent data was published on 18 Sep 2023.
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