Open Access

Katharina Gloria Steyer, Robert H. S. Kraus, Thomas Mölich, Ole Anders, Berardino Cocchiararo, Christiane Frosch, Alexander Geib, Malte Götz, Mathias Herrmann, Karsten Hupe, Annette Kohnen, Matthias Krüger, Franz Müller, Jacques B. Pir, Tobias Erik Reiners, Susan Roch, Ulrike Schade, Philipp Schiefenhövel, Mascha Siemund, Olaf Simon, Sandra Steeb, Sabrina Streif, Bruno Streit, Jürgen Thein, Annika Tiesmeyer, Manfred Trinzen, Burkhard Vogel, Carsten Nowak

• The European wildcat, Felis silvestris silvestris, serves as a prominent target species for the reconnection of central European forest habitats. Monitoring of this species, however, appears difficult due to its elusive behaviour and the ease of confusion with domestic cats. Recently, evidence for multiple wildcat occurrences outside its known distribution has accumulated in several areas across Central Europe, questioning the validity of available distribution data for this species. Our aim was to assess the fine-scale distribution and genetic status of the wildcat in its central European distribution range. We compiled and analysed genetic samples from roadkills and hundreds of recent hair-trapping surveys and applied phylogenetic and genetic clustering methods to discriminate wild and domestic cats and identify population subdivision. 2220 individuals were confirmed as either wildcat (n = 1792) or domestic cat (n = 342), and the remaining 86 (3.9 %) were identified as hybrids between the two. Remarkably, genetic distinction of domestic cats, wildcats and their hybrids was only possible when taking into account the presence of two highly distinct genetic lineages of wildcats, with a suture zone in central Germany. 44 % of the individual wildcats where sampled outside the previously published distribution. Our analyses confirm a relatively continuous spatial presence of wildcats across large parts of the study area in contrast to previous analyses indicating a highly fragmented distribution. Our results suggest that wildcat conservation and management should take advantage of the higher than previously assumed dispersal potential of wildcats, which may use wildlife corridors very efficiently.