Margay

## Description

The margay (Leopardus wiedii ) is a small wild cat native to Central and South America. A solitary and nocturnal cat, it lives mainly in primary evergreen and deciduous forest.

Until the 1990s, margays were hunted illegally for the wildlife trade, which resulted in a large population decrease. Since 2008, the margay has been listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List because the population is thought to be declining due to loss of habitat following deforestation.

The scientific name Felis wiedii was used by Heinrich Rudolf Schinz in 1821 in his first scientific description of the margay, in honour of Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied, who collected specimens in Brazil.

## Appearance

The margay is a small cat, somewhat bigger than a large domestic cat, its coat varying in color from grayish brown to tawny yellow and marked with rows of open rosettes and dark spots. Its head, neck, and throat have black lines, and behind the ears, they are black with a white spot in the center. The cat’s fur is relatively soft and thick, and, unusually, grows “in reverse” on the back of its neck, instead, slanting forwards. This animal has much individual variation in its beautiful coat pattern. Males and females are similar in size and appearance.

## Distribution

The margay lives in northern Mexico, Central America, and in South America, east of the Andes mountains, and as far to the south as Uruguay and northern Argentina. Although reported occasionally outside forested areas, like shaded coffee or cocoa plantations, this wild cat is associated more strongly with forest habitat than other tropical American cats. It inhabits almost exclusively dense forests, ranging from tropical evergreen forest to tropical dry forest and high cloud forest.

## Behavior

The margay is a solitary and primarily nocturnal animal. In southern Brazil, however, it has been recorded as being active during the day as well. It is an agile and excellent climber and is able to descend headfirst from a tree or hang by one hind foot from a branch. It mainly rests and sleeps in trees, making its nests in hollows, and is regarded as being more arboreal and better adapted to living in trees than other species of cat. Nevertheless, margays hunt and travel mostly while on the ground. Margays, like most cats, are territorial. Their home ranges to some extent may overlap, but individual animals keep their distance from one another. They mark their territory with urine, and secretions that come from scent glands between their toes and on their faces. Males have additional glands on their tails for this purpose.

## Diet

Margays are carnivores and eat a wide variety of prey, including both terrestrial and arboreal mammals, birds, birds’ eggs, reptiles, amphibians, arthropods, and fruit.

## Reproduction

Margays are serially monogamous animals, forming temporary pair bonds during the mating season. After mating, these pairs may stay together throughout the breeding season, sometimes even hunting together. Male leave before the birth of the kittens and do not help to rear them. The natural mating season goes from October to January, though it may be year-round in the deep tropics. After a gestation of 76-85 days, the young are born, either one or two. The kittens open their eyes when they are about 2 weeks old, and begin to go outside the den at around 5 weeks old. Weaning occurs at about 8 weeks, but the kittens take nearly a year to attain their full adult size and usually do not start breeding until the age of 2 to 3. Females are thought to give birth once every two years only.

## Population

### Threats

Habitat destruction is the major threat to the margay, through deforestation, as much of the Amazon rainforest is being cleared for pasture, agriculture, and road building. The margay’s arboreal nature, and its naturally low reproductive output and low densities make it particularly vulnerable in the face of this threat. Over the next ten years, it is expected that populations of margay in the Amazon will become more isolated and fragmented. Illegal hunting in some areas is a continuing problem, and margays are also illegally captured for the pet trade.

### Number

The global population size of margay has not been quantified. According to the IUCN Red List, this species is predominantly uncommon to rare throughout its range. Margay’s numbers are decreasing and it is currently classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List.

## Fun Facts

The margay’s ankles can rotate 180 degrees, which allows it to jump from tree to tree and hang onto branches efficiently, a distinctive characteristic that also means they can climb down a tree trunk headfirst.

When jumping over distance, margays fling all of their four legs out, as a squirrel does. Their long tail and their large paws help to keep balance.

Only margays and clouded leopards have enough flexibility of their ankles to facilitate climbing down trees headfirst.

Instead of stalking prey, the margay likes to lie in ambush for prey.

Due to spending most of its time up in trees, the margay also has the name "tree ocelot".

The spots on the fur of margay kittens are present when they are born.