Ocelot

Ocelot

Tigrillo, Painted leopard, McKenney's Wild cat, Manigordo (in Costa Rica), Jaguatirica (in Brazil), Dwarf leopard

4 languages
Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Order
Suborder
Family
Subfamily
Genus
SPECIES
Leopardus pardalis
Population size
Unknown
Life Span
7-20 yrs
Top speed
61 km/h
Weight
8-18 kg
Length
68-100 cm

The ocelot (Leopardus pardalis ) is a medium-sized spotted wild cat that reaches 40–50 cm (15.7–19.7 in) at the shoulders and weighs between 8 and 15.5 kg (17.6 and 34.2 lb). It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Two subspecies are recognized. It is native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and to the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Margarita. It prefers areas close to water sources with dense vegetation cover and high prey availability.

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Typically active during twilight and at night, the ocelot tends to be solitary and territorial. It is efficient at climbing, leaping and swimming. It preys on small terrestrial mammals, such as armadillos, opossums, and lagomorphs. Both sexes become sexually mature at around two years of age and can breed throughout the year; peak mating season varies geographically. After a gestation period of two to three months the female gives birth to a litter of one to three kittens. They stay with their mother for up to two years, after which they leave to establish their own home ranges.

The ocelot is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, and is threatened by habitat destruction, hunting, and traffic accidents. Populations are decreasing in many parts of its range. The association of the ocelot with humans dates back to the Aztec and Incan civilizations; it has occasionally been kept as a pet.

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No

Nocturnal

Cr

Crepuscular

Ca

Carnivore

Te

Terrestrial

Ar

Arboreal

Cu

Cursorial

Al

Altricial

Sc

Scansorial

Te

Territorial

Vi

Viviparous

Po

Polygyny

So

Solitary

No

Not a migrant

O

starts with

Appearance

The ocelot is the biggest of the small spotted cat species, one of the most common species of cat in its range and one of the best known. It is also considered amongst the most beautiful. Its short, sleek fur ranges from reddish, to tawny yellow, to gray, and has open, dark-centered rosettes and solid black spots, the markings often running in parallel chains along its sides of the body. Each individual’s coat has a unique pattern. Females are about one third smaller than males, but similar in appearance otherwise. It is quite a variable species, and about ten subspecies are currently recognized.

Distribution

Geography

The ocelot has a wide distribution, from the southern tip of the United States, to Central and South America, and to northern Argentina, being found in every South American country except Chile. A remnant population in the United States lives in southern Texas, where individuals only occasionally cross into Arizona from Mexico. They occupy tropical forests, mangrove forests, savanna grasslands, coastal marshes and thorn scrubs.

Ocelot habitat map
Ocelot habitat map
Ocelot
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Habits and Lifestyle

The ocelot lives a solitary life within a home range of as much as 30 square km. A male will often occupy a territory that is double the size of a female’s, overlapping the ranges of several females with which he has breeding rights. They are nocturnal animals spend their days sleeping high on a leafy branch or in thick vegetation, coming out into open areas only during the night. These animals have excellent sight, hearing and touch, all of which help them to hunt at night. They communicate with soft meows, which become loud yowls when seeking a mate. Mating habits: Ocelots are polygynous animals, which means that one male mates with multiple females. They breed all year round, except in the north and south of its range, where they breed at the end of summer. After mating, females find a hollow tree, a crevice in the rocks, or a dense thorny thicket to prepare for birth. Gestation lasts for up to 85 days, and 2 or 3 kittens are born. They are weaned by the age of 6 weeks and at a few months old they start to learn from their mother how to hunt. By the age of one year kittens are fully independent. Often they will be tolerated within their mother's range for several years before they establish their own territory. Males are sexually mature at 15 months and females at 18 to 22 months.

Seasonal behavior

Diet and Nutrition

Ocelots eat small rodents, reptiles, birds, medium-sized mammals, crustaceans and fish. Most of their prey are nocturnal species, such as cane mice, spiny rats, opossums, common agoutis and armadillos.

Mating Habits

MATING BEHAVIOR
REPRODUCTION SEASON
Year-round, late summer in the northern and southern parts of the range
PREGNANCY DURATION
85 days
BABY CARRYING
2-3 kittens
INDEPENDENT AGE
1 year
FEMALE NAME
queen
MALE NAME
tomcat
BABY NAME
kitten

Ocelots are polygynous animals, which means that one male mates with multiple females. They breed all year round, except in the north and south of its range, where they breed at the end of summer. After mating, females find a hollow tree, a crevice in the rocks, or a dense thorny thicket to prepare for birth. Gestation lasts for up to 85 days, and 2 or 3 kittens are born. They are weaned by the age of 6 weeks and at a few months old they start to learn from their mother how to hunt. By the age of one year kittens are fully independent. Often they will be tolerated within their mother's range for several years before they establish their own territory. Males are sexually mature at 15 months and females at 18 to 22 months.

Population

Population threats

The ocelot’s major threat is thought to be habitat loss, due to forest clearance for agriculture and cattle ranching, which reduces their natural cover. There is some illegal trade, and they are often taken as pets, hunters often killing the mothers for their fur and selling the young in the pet trade. They are also sometimes killed because they eat domestic poultry. In Texas they are often killed on the road, particularly as they must travel long distances between their remaining patches of habitat.

Population number

The global population size of ocelot has not been quantified. According to the IUCN Red List, there are estimates of this species in specific regions: in Brazil - 40,000 mature individuals; in Argentina - 1,500 to 8,000 individuals; in Texas - 50 – 80 individuals. Overall ocelots are classified as Least Concern (LC) on the list of threatened species, but their numbers are decreasing today.

Ecological niche

Ocelots have a significant impact on their environment as predators, being opportunistic hunters preying upon many different animals.

Fun Facts for Kids

  • “Leopardus pardalis” is the ocelot’s taxonomic name, which means “like a leopard,” though leopards do not live in the same areas. Their name comes from the Aztec "tlalocelot," meaning “field tiger”.
  • The ocelot is describe as being more of a picky eater than other cats, most of which remove feathers or fur from their prey while eating it, whereas ocelots will pluck off all feathers or fur before they start eating.
  • The Moche people who lived in ancient Peru worshipped animals, often depicting ocelots in their art.
  • The two sides of an ocelot’s coat do not have the same patterns and color.
  • A female ocelot bears kittens once every two years.
  • Ocelots have a raspy tongue, which can successfully remove every piece of meat from a bone.
  • Unlike some other cats, ocelots are not scared of water and are excellent swimmers.

References

1. Ocelot Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocelot
2. Ocelot on The IUCN Red List site - http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/11509/0

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