Guwahati, Oct 21: The Eastern Himalayas have emerged as a global hotspot for the coat-colour diversity of the elusive Asiatic golden cat (Catopuma temminckii), with camera-trap surveys documenting seven distinct colour morphs in Arunachal Pradesh’s West Kameng district and three in Sikkim.
The study, published in Springer Nature, was authored by Shagun Thakur, Nishigandha Mahajan, Sameera Hindalekar, Pooja Pant, Ranjana Pal, Vineet K. Dubey, Govindan Veeraswami Gopi and Sambandam Sathyakumar. The researchers are affiliated with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) and the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF).
The findings significantly expand the known western limit of phenotypic diversity in the Eastern Himalayas and offer new insights into the species’ distribution, behaviour and ecology.
Seven colour morphs recorded in West Kameng
Camera-trap surveys conducted in West Kameng district between 2023 and 2025 documented seven distinct colour morphs: melanistic (black), brown, common-golden, common-red, ocelot (spotted), grey and cinnamon.
The presence of seven morphs in a single district establishes West Kameng as a major global hotspot of phenotypic variation in the species.
In Sikkim, camera traps deployed between 2022 and 2025 recorded three morphs—cinnamon, red and grey—in the high-altitude Teesta River basin. The findings confirm the persistence of considerable coat-colour diversity across the Eastern Himalayan region.
Camera traps capture interactions between morphs
The study also offers insights into how different colour morphs coexist in the same landscape.
In West Kameng, camera traps recorded red and golden morphs using the same habitat spaces. Similar coexistence, known as sympatry, has previously been reported in Bhutan.
The observations suggest that the persistence of different morphs is not explained solely by geographic or spatial isolation. Ecological conditions and interactions between individuals may also play a role.
Researchers also documented distinct morphs occurring in close proximity, including a probable mating pair comprising a red individual and a golden individual in West Kameng.
Although there is currently no evidence of colour-based mate selection in wild felids, such inter-morph interactions may be important for maintaining genetic and phenotypic diversity within populations.
Eastern Himalayas stand out in global comparison
By mapping occurrence records across Asia, the researchers examined how the distribution of coat-colour patterns varies across the Asiatic golden cat’s range.
The highest concentration of colour morphs was found across the Eastern Himalayan landscape, including Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Bhutan and northern Myanmar.
In contrast, populations in equatorial tropical regions, including Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra, show comparatively limited variation and are dominated by more uniform coat phenotypes.
The contrast highlights the Eastern Himalayas as an important region for studying the evolutionary and ecological factors behind the species’ unusual coat-colour diversity.
Genetic factors and conservation threats
Coat-colour polymorphism in wild cats can serve several adaptive functions, including camouflage, predator avoidance through background matching, disruptive coloration, thermoregulation and interactions related to dominance or mating.
At the genetic level, variations in pigmentation are regulated by loci such as MC1R and ASIP, which influence the expression of eumelanin, associated with darker pigmentation, and pheomelanin, associated with red and yellow tones.
The Eastern Himalayas’ complex terrain, altitudinal variation and diverse microclimates create different ecological niches that may help sustain these distinct phenotypes.
However, researchers warn that human-induced habitat destruction and climate change could threaten these adaptive processes. Changes in habitat and environmental conditions may affect the survival and reproductive success of wild populations.
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