Tigrillo, Painted leopard, McKenney's Wild cat, Manigordo, Jaguatirica, Dwarf leopard
The ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) is a medium-sized wild cat that was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. 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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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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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...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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ScansorialScansorial animals are those that are adapted to or specialized for climbing. Many animals climb not only in tress but also in other habitats, such...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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ViviparousAmong 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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PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
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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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SolitaryNo
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 withThe 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 among 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 the 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.
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.
Ocelots are usually solitary and active mainly during twilight and at night. During the daytime, they rest on trees, in dens below large trees, or in other cool, sheltered sites on the ground. They are agile in climbing and leaping, and escape predators by jumping on trees. They are also efficient swimmers. Ocelots are territorial and scent-marks their territory by spraying urine. The territories of males are larger than those of females. Territories of females rarely overlap, whereas the territory of a male includes those of two to three females. Social interaction between sexes is minimal, though a few adults have been observed together even in non-mating periods, and some juveniles interact with their parents. Ocelots can be aggressive in defending their territory, fighting even to death. When hunting ocelots follow scent trails to acquire prey. They walk slowly at a speed of about 0.3 km/h (0.2 mph) searching for prey. Alternatively, an ocelot may wait for prey for 30 to 60 minutes at a certain site and move to another walking at 0.8-1.4 km/h (0.5-0.9 mph) if unsuccessful. Ocelots usually hunt in areas with vegetation cover and avoid open areas, especially on moonlit nights, so as not to be seen by the prey. In order to communicate with each other ocelots use soft meows, which become loud yowls when seeking a mate.
Ocelots are carnivores and prey on rodents, lagomorphs, armadillos, opossums, also fish, crustaceans, insects, reptiles, and birds. They require 600-800 g (21-28 oz) of food every day to satisfy their energy requirements.
Ocelots are polygynous animals, which means that one male mate 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. A newborn kitten weighs 200-340 g (7.1-12.0 oz). 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 become reproductively mature at 15 months of age while females are ready to breed when they are 18 to 22 months old.
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 kill the mothers for their fur and sell 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.
According to Wikipedia resource, as of 2013, the global population size of the ocelot was estimated at more than 40,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.
Ocelots have a significant impact on their environment as predators, being opportunistic hunters preying upon many different animals.
