Felis salamandra cat real or fake? (Fact Check)

There is a viral picture of a cat on Facebook that claimed to be a new subspecies of wild cat. It was called Felis Salamandra.

The picture that has been shared all over Facebook is fake.

Felis salamandra cat Facebook claims

The claim;

“Discovery of Felis Salamandra, a rare subspecies of wild cat

Scientists recently announced the discovery of a new subspecies of wild cat called Félis Salamandra. This subspecies is very rare as it is considered a subspecies of Asia’s little leopard and is endemic to a tropical mountainous region. Lost in a valley hard to access which explains the late discovery.

This discovery is particularly interesting because it shows the importance of preserving biodiversity and protecting species at risk. Scientists are concerned about the declining numbers of wild cats around the world, particularly in Asia, where deforestation, hunting and illegal animal trade have led to a reduction in their natural habitats.

Felis Salamandra is a small feral cat with a black coat and yellow spots, similar to the Bengal cat. However, unlike the Bengal cat, this subspecies has unique features that set it apart from other wild cats, including longer claws and more sharp canines. The Felis Salamandra is also very agile and fast, making it a formidable predator in its natural habitat.

Arboricole, its prey is mainly birds as well as rodents.

Sadly, zoos are no longer allowed to house species taken from the wild, as this can contribute to the decline of wildlife populations. For this reason, scientists will select only a few feline farms sorted based on health criteria and experience on keeping primitive species. This will allow to keep some specimens of this rare subspecies safe and continue studies of their behavior and ecology.

In short, the discovery of Felis Salamandra is an important step forward for the scientific community and highlights the importance of biodiversity conservation and protecting endangered species. Scientists hope this discovery will lead to greater efforts to protect natural habitats of wild cats and other endangered species.“.

Felis salamandra cat real or fake?

Felis salamandra cat is fake. The pictures were created by AI.

The post was shared by a Facebook user, Alex Vasilev, on March 8th,

He said; “Serpens cattus (snake cat) is the rarest cat species in the world.”

“These animals live in remote regions of the Amazon floodplain, and therefore are relatively poorly studied.

“The first pictures that captured a snake cat appeared only in the 2020s.

“The mammal weighs up to 4 kilograms and reaches 50 centimeters in length.

“The animal is not amenable to domestication, although some Amazonian tribes use snake cats to protect their homes from rodents.”

He then added (TgC Unknown Planet) as the source as seen in the image below.

Felis salamandra cat Fact Check: FAKE

Alex Vasilev told MailOnline that it’s fake. “As far as I understand, an artificial intelligence system was used to create it, which one I don’t know, because I could not find the author of the drawing”.

He added; “Apparently, an ordinary cat and an image of a mangrove snake were used to create the Amazonian cat. “

Also, Dr. Andrew Kitchener, the Principal Curator of Vertebrates at National Museums Scotland, has confirmed that “Serpens Cattus or Snake Cats” do not exist.

He told MailOnline: “The snake cat does not exist and has not been described scientifically.

“Of course there may be new species of cat that await discovery in South America, but this is not one of them.”