Geoffroy's ocelot, Gato Montes (cat of the mountains), Geoffroy's cat
Geoffroy's cat (Leopardus geoffroyi ) is a small wild cat native to the southern and central regions of South America. It is about the size of a domestic cat. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List because it is widespread and abundant over most of its range.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withGeoffroy's cats are amongst the earth’s smallest wildcats and are about the same size as a domestic cat. Usually, those living in the south of their range are bigger than those in the north, with males being larger than females. The fur has many black spots, but its background color varies between regions: a coat of brownish-yellow is most common in the north, whereas farther south it is grayish. The tail and limbs have dark banks, with similar markings on the cat’s cheeks and the top of its head and neck. Melanistic (dark) forms seem fairly common, mostly in wetland or forested areas.
Geoffroy’s cats occur in the south of South America in the Pampas, Andes, and Gran Chaco areas. They live primarily along rivers within thick scrubby vegetation. Some live in savannas and open woodlands, marshes and sometimes grasslands, but not in open areas.
The Geoffroy’s cat is mainly nocturnal, but does hunt at dawn and dusk. They like water and are keen swimmers. Secretive and solitary, this animal spends much time in the tree. These cats are very agile, and can walk along the underside of branches. Males and females interact very little, really only to mate. The range of a female is about 2.5 square km and will overlap with other females’ ranges but not with those of males, which have larger ranges than females. Geoffroy’s cats communicate via purrs, hisses, snarls, calls, and growl sounds. Tactile and visual communication, is probably also used, especially between mothers and their young.
Geoffroy’s cats are hunters, and will eat a wide variety of animals, mainly birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, wild guinea pigs, rodents, hares, small agoutis, and other small mammals.
Geoffroy’s cats are polygynous, which means that one male mates with multiple females. The male will mate with most of those females within his protected range. The mating season takes place from December to May. Gestation lasts for 67-78 days and females can produce one litter per year of one to four kittens. The mother gives birth inside a den which could be a rock crevice, bushes or a nook up in a tree. The kittens are born blind, their eyes opening within 8-12 days. The kittens develop quickly, being able to stand at around four days old, start to walk when two or three weeks old and climb fearlessly by six weeks. The females alone raise the young, and nurse them until about 8 weeks old. The kittens are independent of their mother after about 8 months. Males do not help with rearing the young. Females are sexually mature when 18 months old, and males at the age of 2 years.
The greatest threat to Geoffroy's cats is human disturbance of their habitat due to deforestation, and over-hunting for the fur trade.
According to the IUCN Red List, Geoffroy’s cat is relatively common throughout most of its range but there are no estimates of population size. This species’ numbers are stable and currently it is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.
Geoffroy’s cat is very opportunistic as regards its diet, so it helps control small wild animal populations. It has a wide range, thus helping to control populations of various small vertebrates throughout a large part of South America.
