• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.322-332
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• 2012

The objectives of this paper were to investigate home range, habitat selection, and threat factors of leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis) living in rural area of Korea. The results based on radio tracking of three leopard cats (two males and one female) can be summarized as follows. First, the average home range of leopard cats were $2.64{\pm}1.99km^2$ (Kernel 95) and $3.69{\pm}1.34km^2$ (MCP 100), and the average size of core areas was $0.64{\pm}0.47km^2$ (Kernel 50). The home range of a male leopard cat that radio-tracked in winter was the largest ($5.19km^2$, MCP 100). Second, the Johnson's habitat selection model based on the Jacobs index showed that leopard cats preferred meadows and paddy fields avoiding forest covers at the second level, whereas they preferred meadows adjacent to streams and avoided paddy fields at the third level. Finally, roadkill could be prime threat factor for the cat population. Therefore, habitats dominated by paddy fields, stream corridors with paved roads, and human settlements with insufficient forest patches could threaten the long-term viability of leopard cat populations. Thus the habitat managements for the leopard cat conservation should focus on the prevention of road-kill and the installation of wildlife passages in rural highways adjacent to stream corridors.