November 12, 2013

Google Logo Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm

Incredible Camera Trap Footage of the Rare African Golden Cat [Video]

The Wildlife Conservation Society released new camera trap footage of the elusive African golden cat. One important outcome of their research is a new understanding of the daily activity patterns of the species.

By Jason G. Goldman

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

The word of the day is cathemeral. The word describes the African golden cat (Profelis aurata), a wild feline about twice the size of your average housecat. It means that the species, which is found in the rainforests of Western, Eastern, and Central Africa, is neither diurnal nor nocturnal, but active both during the day and at night. The word was coined by anthropologist Ian Tattersall in 1987, and derives from the Greek words kata, meaning through, and hemera, meaning day. "Day," in this case, refers to a complete 24-hour period, rather than to the daylight hours.

The cathemerality of the African golden cat is one finding from new research conducted by scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society and from Panthera, who had previously classified the species as nocturnal.

Since the cats are so elusive, the scientists who study these animals' responses to deforestation and overhunting rely on camera traps to see them. Today, the WCS released new footage of an African golden cat from Uganda’s Kibale National Park.

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

"With what," you might ask, "did the researchers bait the camera traps to lure the cat for its clandestine photo-shoot?" They used Calvin Klein Obsession For Men. Obviously.

Related:

You’ll Never Guess How Biologists Lure Jaguars To Camera Traps

Header image: Felis Aurata. Drawing from Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, dated 1873, by John Gerrard Keulemans. Public domain.

Jason G. Goldman is a science journalist based in Los Angeles. He has written about animal behavior, wildlife biology, conservation, and ecology for Scientific American, Los Angeles magazine, the Washington Post, the Guardian, the BBC, Conservation magazine, and elsewhere. He contributes to Scientific American's "60-Second Science" podcast, and is co-editor of Science Blogging: The Essential Guide (Yale University Press). He enjoys sharing his wildlife knowledge on television and on the radio, and often speaks to the public about wildlife and science communication.

More by Jason G. Goldman

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe