Leopardus tigrinus
Creators: name: Don E. Wilson
name: Russell A. Mittermeier
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Carnivora
Felidae
Leopardus
Leopardus tigrinus

description: 18.
Oncilla
Leopardus tigrinus
French: Oncille / German: Ozelotkatze / Spanish: Tigrillo
Other common names: Little Tiger Cat, Little Spotted Cat, Ocelot Cat
Taxonomy. Felis tigrinus Schreber, 1775,
Cayenne, French Guiana.
Recent genetic analysis of present species show at least two phylogeographic clusters. When mtDNA from specimens in Costa Rica and Brazil were examined, the genetic distances between these forms were as great as those separating other species in the L. pardalis lineage. When specimens from other geographic areas are also examined genetically, present species may be split into two, three or possibly four species. Four subspecies are currently recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
L. t. tigrinus Schreber, 1775 = Venezuela, the Guianas, N Brazil.
L. t. guttulus Hensel, 1872 — E and S Brazil, Paraguay, N Argentina.
L. t. oncilla Thomas, 1903 — Costa Rica.
L. t. pardinoides Gray, 1867 — N Andes from Colombia to Bolivia.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 38-55. 6 cm, tail 22-542 cm; weight 1.5-3. 5 kg; adult males slightly heavier than females. Smallest of the South American spotted cats. Resembles a Margay, but smaller and slimmer, with relatively larger ears and a shortertail. Fur thick and soft; ground color of upperparts varies from pale to rich ocher, becoming paler on flanks. Belly whitish and heavily marked with dark spots. Upperparts and sides of body marked with longitudinal rows of black-bordered blotches or rosettes, usually enclosing a patch of the ground color. Pattern of black spots and stripes similar to that of Margay. Melanistic individuals not uncommon. Tail with 7-13 irregular dark bands. Ears black on back, with a conspicuous white spot.
Habitat. Found in a variety of forest types, including semi-arid thorny scrub in northeast Brazil, subtropical forest in E Brazil, cloud forest in Costa Rica, and from semi-dry deciduous forest at 350 m to montane cloud forest at 3000 m in Venezuela. There are also records in early secondary forest, abandoned eucalyptus plantations and areas close to human settlements.
Food and Feeding. Limited information suggests diet consists mainly of rodents (Muridae, Heteromyidae, Cricetidae), shrews (Soricidae), opossums (Marmosidae), lizards (Teiidae, Tropiduridae), birds (Emberizidae), and insects. Hunts on the ground, but can climb well.
Activity patterns. Primarily nocturnal and usually seen alone.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Nothing known.
Breeding. Nothing known of reproduction in the wild. Limited information from captivity suggests estrus lasts from 3-9 days, the gestation period is 62 to 76 days, and litter size is 1-2, mode is 1. Kittens develop slowly.
Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix I. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. Rarely observed and as yet unstudied in the wild. In the 1970s and 1980s the species was trapped in large numbers for the fur trade, but international trade in pelts was largely terminated after 1985. The species was transferred to Appendix I in 1989 and thus there is no legal market for skins.
Bibliography. Bisbal (1989), Cabrera (1961b), Emmons & Feer (1997), Gardner (1971), Johnson, Pecon-Slattery et al. (1999), Leyhausen & Falkena (1966), Mondolfi (1986), Nowell & Jackson (1996), Oliveira (1994), Olmos (1993), Quillen (1981), Sunquist & Sunquist (2002), Tortato & Oliveira (2005), Widholzer et al. (1981), Ximénez (1982).
description: Published as part of Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2009, Felidae, pp. 54-168 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 1 Carnivores, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on pages 146-147, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6376899