Tigrillo, Painted leopard, McKenney's Wild cat, Manigordo (in Costa Rica), Jaguatirica (in Brazil), Dwarf leopard
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.
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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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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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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ocelots have a significant impact on their environment as predators, being opportunistic hunters preying upon many different animals.
