South American Cryptids (Isnachi and Cats)

Illustration by Peter Visccher, depicting Peruvian cryptids. The primate is the 'Isnachi'. From Greenwell (1994)

'Peruvian tiger' (at left) and 'Anomalous jaguar' skulls in anterior view (and pretty much to scale). Photos by Peter Hocking.

Darren Naish has published this information but he evidently included a typo which confused the issue. The several putative South American Cryptid Big Cats (Yana Puma or "Felis Negra" of the old Natural Histories), Speckled Jaguar (Anomalous Jaguar) and Stripled Tiger (El Tigre) all seem to be actually only freakish variations on the common jaguar. Part of the problem is that people tend to view distinctive patterns of colouration as if they were distinctive species. Abundant documentation makes it clear that "Isnachi" is only another local name for the spectacled bear.

http://www.researchgate.net/publication/216084254_Revalorando_la_geografa_animal._Estudio_del_Isnachi_(tremarctos_ornatus)_en_el_distrito_de_Chazuta_San_Martn-Parque_Nacional_Cordillera_Azul

The Isnachi, Bear or Andean Bear (Tremarctos ornatus) is found in a wide range of distribution along the Andes holding various types of ecosystems. However, it is in danger of extinction due to poaching and habitat destruction. These activities are presented by the direct and indirect relationship that develops with man which is influenced by the cultural context in different geographical areas. Therefore, to understand the situation of Isnachi, and the implications for conservation, it is essential to examine each particular cultural and geographical space. The main objective of this research is to ascertain the influence of man on the distribution Isnachi Chazuta district, San Martin which is part of the Cordillera Azul National Park and its buffer zone. For this it was necessary to know their potential in the study area as well as the direct and indirect relationship between man and the species distribution. Is, knowing the relationship man - Isnachi well as the current context relating to land use and economic activities. To achieve this methodology on three components that allowed collecting the current context of the study area to ecological and socioeconomic status was developed. Two visits to the field were made in 2010 in order to recognize the area of ​​study, semi-structured interviews with villagers and record the presence of terrestrial wildlife and conservation threats. These incursions allowed to know the current context of the area and collect data to model the potential of the species under the MAXENT software niche. This basic information was obtained on its potential distribution as well as socio-economic context of the place. All under a geographic perspective, emphasizing the spatial context. This information eventually allowed to know and analyze the influence of man on the distribution of Isnachi. Among the conclusions are, first, that there is still Isnachis presence in the study area, however the sightings are sporadic. Importantly, the areas predicted as potential habitat for the species are the headwaters of the three streams that supply water and biological resource villagers. Human activities such as migration and hunting have reduced their habitat being specific cases and the hamlet of Siambal Canayo. Hunting is possible and opportunistic as it provides large amounts of fat and meat for family subsistence in food and medicine, however, is not essential to your daily life. The perception people have about the species is non-negative, ie, do not consider an animal that threatens their crops or animals or attack man in general. It's described as a "quiet" forest item, mostly it consumes "100% vegetable" by which it is shown that not everywhere direct relationship man - Isnachi must be conflicting. There is still the need for further research to deepen the environmental aspects of its potential as a registration field as well as their feeding methods used to estimate the current population distribution. Similarly one could emphasize more on the threats presented to propose solutions or alternatives that are more harmonious with conservation proposals currently being developed in the área.Finalmente concluded that this geographic focus (called Animal geography) and the methodology allowed one hand to recognize the skills of the geographer under their holistic capacity. So lets develop research topics both ecology and sociology and anthropology emphasizing the spatial context thereby contributing to the conservation of endangered wildlife.`

The Yana Puma or Felis Negra from old Natural History books:

Darren Naish is in error when he maintains a typo from his source material is correct when it states that the Yana Puma is another name for the spectacled bear. Obviously a part of the original statement is missing and the statement intended to read that the Isnachi is the same as the spectacled bear.

Black Panther Sighting in Tennessee

Black Panther Sighting in Tennessee

Rare Panther Sighting
Photo taken by a trail cam of a co worker near Roan Mountain, Tennessee (Carter County). Truly a rare sighting. Most people around here have only heard stories of these cats.

(posted to Carolyn Rose Goyda's Facebook wall this morning )
This seems to be a photo taken off the internet and originally indicated as a captive big cat from another location. As such its misrepresentation as coming from Tennessee constitutes a malicious hoax.

Black Pumas From Terry Colvin

Posted to my email from Longtime FOZ associate and "Dark puma" witness Terry Colvin:

I found this piece in Pursuit dealing mountain lions with melanism.

Terry

ps: Poor photocopy so there will be garble

BLACK PUMAS

BLACK PUMAS
In our October 1971 issue we yelled Help! on the
question of melanism in pumas (otherwise called
cougars. panthers. painters, mountain lions. and
heaven knows what else!). We cannot say that we
have been deluged with material. but we have received
quite Enough to indicate that melanism -the occurrence
of black pumas in an otherwise tawny-coloured 'race'-
is in flact quite widespread and is possibly increasing.
Member #210 promptly came through with two refer-
ences, noting that .. Stanley P. Young and Edward A.
Goldman's ~ (Dover Edition, 1964) mentions a
couple  of sources  black pumas. A specific case of
just such a cat having been killed in 1843 in the
carandahy River section of Brazil is cited. as well
as a vague reference to specimens of South American
pumas (black, of course) being taken 'from time to
time'. In Victor H. Cahalane's Mammals Qf North
Ameril~ (Macmillan Co., 1961) this great one-liner is
found on page 272: 'Melanistic or black cougars are
known; cougars of Florida seem to run strongly to
that "freak" color'."
Our major source of information, however, is Bruce
S. Wright, who is Director of the Northeastern Wild-
life  Station of the University of New Brunswick,
Fredericton. N.B. Mr. Wright has written one book
about pumas, entitled The Ghost  of  North America,
and is at work on a revised edition. He cites a book
by William Thomas. Great cats I Have Met; Adventures
ill Two  Hemispheres (Alpha Publishing Co .• Boston.
1896. p. 75-76), and in addition was kind enough to
send us a copy of a paper he presented at the 36th
North American Wildlife Conference in March, 1971,
the Symposium on the Native Cats of North America.
In this he devotes a section to melanism. as follows:
"No black specimen of Felis concolor has ever
been collected in North America [Unless you count Costa Rica],
 but one has been shot in Brazil (Young and Goldman. 1946, p. 58).
The repeated mention of black specimens seen in daylight
at close range demands some explanation. I once
believed they were caused by the specimens being
wet. To test this I went to Vancouver: Island and
followed a government cougar hunter until he killed a
large male. I took the fresh hide and suspended it by
its edges and filled it with water and left in overnight.
The next morning I photographed it in color from all
angles. I could not make it appear black.
"My next thought was that they must be backlighted.
However. a check on the position of the sun at the
time of these reports proved this theory ,untenable.
"I have now no alternative but to accept the word
of the eye-witness that there are black specimens of
Felis concolor in northeastern North America and that
they are not particularly rare (about 7% in New Bruns-
wick and Nova Scotia.)" '
Mr. Wright appends a table detailing no less than
20 black pumas seen at close range in daylight 'in
New Brunswick. Quebec, and Nova Scotia between
September 1. 1951 and August 2. 1970, and notes that
as many more were not included because the circum-
stances were such that positive 'identification' of
the color was impossible, though he adds "There is no
reasonable reason for disregarding these descriptions".
We also asked Lennie Rue -one of the~ very great
naturalists in this country; see National Wildlife and
International Wildlife for examples of his animal pho-
tography- if he had any references to black pumas.
Lennie has a truly incredible library 'on natural
history. with emphasis on North American mammals.
but could not come up with a single reference. On the '
other hand, he pointed out ~hat there is a claim from
Borneo for a black Clouded Leopard (Panther'a nubulosa)
believed by many to be extinct, and that there is even
a book called The Black Lion! We know of ~any albino
tigers; has anyone references on black ones? Black
leopards are quite common, and black jaguars are not
rare, though most seem to come from a fairly limited
area in the Guyana Massif. '
And, just for the record, one of our subscribers
tells us that some five years ago he talked with a
chap from El Salvador who stated calmly that he
occasionally hunted Bengal Tigers-"Tigres Bengalis"...
across the border in Honduras (not British :Honduras);
he said they had multiplied there since some escaped
years ago from a circus, so. if someone tells you he
hunted Bengal tigers in Honduras (provided you can
get into that country safely -and out again). he is
not necessarily a liar!

Terry W. Colvin
Ladphrao (Bangkok), Thailand
Pran Buri (Hua Hin), Thailand


http://www.messybeast.com/genetics/mutant-pumas.html

1820s-black-puma-print

Historical print of a dark-coloured puma, similar in most respects to to the more modern sightings,

[I probably DO need to reiterate, reports of known species do not qualify as subjects for Cryptozoology, whether you admit to the colour phase they  come in or not. or whether they seen are outside their normal range or not. And also I should mention that black jaguars are known to cross over the border of the US and Mexico occasionally.     -DD.]