抄録
The Iriomote cat is a highly endangered felid endemic to Iriomote-jima Island, with a population of around 100 individuals. To minimize disturbance, non-invasive genetic methods were developed to distinguish between Iriomote cats and domestic cats and to identify sex of Iriomote cats. Scats were collected throughout Iriomote-jima Island for DNA extraction. Scats were separated according to degree of freshness (scat category) and preservation method to compare between results of the different genetic methods. Multiplex PCR using mtDNA 16S was developed obtaining a success rate of 99.4% in identifying Iriomote cats. One scat sample was identified as belonging to both species, possibly due to the proximity of latrine sites. The SRY gene, found exclusively in males, was amplified using PCR, from 25.0% of the scat samples. The ZFY marker using PCR-RFLP with Dde I digestion was performed obtaining reliable results in 43.2% of scat samples. This method was determined to be more e.cient than the SRY marker to distinguish between the sexes, and therefore, it could prove effective for studying several sex-specific ecological traits of the Iriomote cat to aid in its management and conservation.
