North American margay (SciiFii)

The North American margay (Leopardus wiedii floridanus), also known as the North American tree ocelot, is a subspecies of margay that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the rainforests, wetlands, forests, and open woodlands across North America to help boost biodiversity. The North American margay, as with the South and Central American subspecies, is very similar to the larger ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) in appearance, although the head is a little shorter, the eyes larger, and the tail and legs longer. Its weight ranges from 2.6 to 4 kilograms (5.7 to 8.8 lb), with a body length of 48 to 79 centimeters (19 to 31 inches) and a tail length of 33 to 51 centimeters (13 to 20 inches). Unlike most other cats, the female possesses only two teats. Its fur is brown and marked with numerous rows of dark brown or black rosettes and longitudinal streaks. The undersides are paler, ranging from buff to white, and the tail has numerous dark bands and a black tip. The backs of the ears are black with circular white markings in the centre. The North American margay is a skillful climber, and it is sometimes called the "tree ocelot" because of this ability. It spends most of the time in trees, leaping after and chasing birds, squirrels, plesiadapiforms, adapiforms, and monkeys through the treetops. It can turn its ankles up to 180 degrees, so it can grasp branches equally well with its fore and hind paws, and it is able to jump up to 12 feet (3.7 meters) horizontally. The North American margay is almost exclusively nocturnal, although it has also been observed hunting during the day in some areas. It prefers to spend most of its life in trees, but also travels on the ground, especially when moving between hunting areas. During the day, it rests in relatively inaccessible branches or clumps of lianas and other vegetation. It is usually solitary and lives in home ranges of 11–16 km2 (4.2–6.2 sq mi). It uses scent marking to indicate its territory, including urine spraying and leaving scratch marks on the ground or on branches. Its vocalisations all appear to be short range; it does not call over long distances. A North American margay is known to mimic the vocalisation of North American adapiform infants while hunting. Because the margay is mostly nocturnal and is naturally rare in its environment, most dietary studies have been based on stomach contents and faecal analysis. This cat hunts small mammals (including monkeys, adapiforms, plesiadapiforms, and squirrels), birds, eggs, lizards, and tree frogs. It also eats grass, fruit and other vegetation, to help digestion. The North American margay is able to hunt its prey entirely in trees. However, North American margays do sometimes hunt on the ground, and have been reported to eat terrestrial prey, such as rats and guinea pigs. Female North American margays are in estrus for four to ten days over a cycle of 32 to 36 days, during which they attract males with a long, moaning call. The male responds by yelping or making trilling sounds, and also by rapidly shaking his head from side to side, a behavior not seen in other cat species. Copulation lasts up to sixty seconds and is similar to that of domestic cats; it takes place primarily in the trees and occurs several times while the female is in heat. Unlike other felid species, North American margays are not induced ovulators. Gestation lasts about 70-80 days and generally results in the birth of a single or two kittens, usually between March and June. Kittens weigh 85 to 170 grams (3.0 to 6.0 oz) at birth. This is relatively large for a small cat and is probably related to the long gestation period. The kittens open their eyes at around two weeks of age and begin to eat solid food at seven to eight weeks. North American margays reach sexual maturity at twelve to eighteen months of age and are known to live more than 20 years in captivity. The conservation status of the North American margay is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the North American margay's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii