Ocelot

## Description

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.

## 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 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.

## Distribution

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.

## Lifestyle

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.

## Diet

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.

## Reproduction

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.

## 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 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.

### Population number

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.

### Ecological niche

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

## Fun Facts

“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 described 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.