OCELOT: CHARACTERISTICS, DANGER OF EXTINCTION, FOOD - BIOLOGY - 2025

The ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), also known as jaguarcito, cunaguaro, manigordo, tigrillo or jaguar, is a placental mammal belonging to the Felidae family. This feline is characterized by its soft brown fur, with round spots and horizontal stripes in dark colors, usually black.

It has a robust body, which is between 100 and 140 centimeters long, including the tail. Your weight could be between 7 and 16 kilograms. The limbs are short, allowing it not only to run after its prey, but also to easily climb trees and swim.

Ocelot Source: Ana_Cotta, via Wikimedia Commons

The Leopardus pardalis is the third largest feline in the American continent and the second most distributed, after the Puma concolor. It is found in coastal forests, grasslands and thorn forests. It is distributed in Texas and in almost all the countries of Central and South America.

The ocelot population is being affected by the fragmentation of their habitat and by poaching, which has caused their population to decrease. Because of this, the IUCN included Leopardus pardalis on the red list of animals that are in danger of extinction.

Evolution

The Felidae family originated during the Eocene, approximately 34 to 23 million years ago. The oldest fossil corresponding to this group is Proailurus lemanensis, an extinct carnivorous species that lived in Eurasia.

The first felines first arrived in North America 8 million years ago, via the Beringia Bridge. From that ancestor, the lineages of the puma, lynx and ocelot would later be differentiated. In later years, they migrated to Central and South America, crossing the Isthmus of Panama.

Researchers have found fossils of Leopardus pardalis in Mexico, Florida and Brazil. These correspond to the prehistoric period of the late Pleistocene, between 500,000 to 10,000 years ago.

characteristics

Yumaesmanolito, via Wikimedia Commons

Fur

The hair of the ocelot is straight and short, being able to have colors that go from white to reddish yellow, gray or reddish. The shades of the coat can vary according to the habitat. Those that live in arid scrub are grayer than those located in forests. On rare occasions completely black species have been seen.

The ocelot is characterized by the spots and rosettes on its fur. These have a black border, with the center darker than the body color.

The ventral area is white and the dorsal area can vary from white to reddish gray or brownish yellow. On the inside of the legs it has black stripes. The tail has spots only in the dorsal area.

It has black spots on its head, with two black stripes on each cheek. The ears are black, with a white line in the posterior region of each of these. The neck area, where the hair grows towards the face, has parallel black stripes.

Size

The ocelot is a medium-sized feline, with a length, from head to tail, of approximately 70 to 100 centimeters. The tail is about 30 to 40 centimeters long.

Females usually weigh between 7 and 12 kilograms and males between 7 and 16 kilograms. Sexual dimorphism is very mild; the female is only a third smaller than the male, and is very similar in appearance.

Legs

Taking into consideration its body size, the Leopardus pardalis has large legs, the front legs being wider than the back ones. This has given it the name of manigordo, as it is called in Panama and Costa Rica.

The hind limbs have four toes and the front five. The legs have pads, allowing the animal to walk silently. The claws are sharp, long and retractable.

Face

Ocelots have a concave shaped snout. Their ears are large and they have a well-developed sense of hearing.

The eyes are brown, reflecting golden tones when sunlight falls on them. These are adapted to changes in brightness.

At the brightest times of the day, your pupils contract until they form a thin vertical line. In dark situations, they appear round and large.

Habitat and distribution

The ocelot is widely distributed in South America, and can be found in Bolivia, Argentina, Suriname, Uruguay, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Venezuela and Peru.

In Central America, the Leopardus pardalis lives in Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico and Panama.

Previously it lived in some regions of the United States, specifically in the southeast coast of the Gulf of Texas, in Louisiana, Arizona and Arkansas. Today only south of Texas is a small population of ocelots.

Habitat

This feline lives in forests and thorn bushes, tropical humid forests, mangroves and savanna grasslands. Its movement patterns indicate that it prefers regions with dense vegetation cover.

Because of this, they avoid open spaces during the day, but move to these uncovered areas at night to hunt their prey.

Leopardus pardalis is also found in coastal marshes, subtropical primary and secondary forests with evergreen, montane and seasonal leaves. These habitats are usually below 3000 meters above sea level, however, ocelots have been found living at higher altitudes.

Adult males frequently inhabit larger areas than females, although this distribution may vary depending on the habitat. For example, in gallery forests they tend to have a lower range than in flat areas.

In the subtropical forests of Argentina and Brazil, the greatest ranges of the ocelot have been found, these being 32 kilometers for males and 16 kilometers for females.

The least extensive areas, around 2 and 6 km for males and 1 to 3 for females, are in Texas, the Peruvian Amazon, the Brazilian Pantanal, and the Bolivian Chaco.

Feeding

The ocelot is a carnivorous animal. Their diet is stationary, as it can vary depending on the season. In Venezuela, during the summer, this animal consumes mostly rodents and iguanas. In the winter it prefers land crabs.

There could also be variations depending on the habitat where it is found. In southeastern Brazil, Leopardus pardalis consumes mainly primates, while in Mexico the iguana is its main prey.

It normally hunts animals that weigh less than 10,000 grams, so it very rarely goes after large prey such as peccary and deer. The ocelot feeds on monkeys, rabbits, possums, bats, armadillos and marsupials, and rodents.

In addition to these small mammals, it consumes birds, insects, fish, and reptiles. Within this group, it usually hunts alligators, turtles, lizards and snakes.

The hunt

These animals are excellent hunters on the ground, although they also do so on trees. The researchers report that ocelots follow the scent trails left by their prey, which they continue to capture.

When they are looking for food, they can walk at a speed of 300 m / h. They can also take the option of waiting in a forest area for between 30 and 60 minutes, if they cannot find an animal, they move to a different site.

Ocelots frequently hunt alone. It can also happen that they go out in groups in search of food. They are skilled hunters; once they capture the prey, they consume it in the same place, using their carnassial teeth to cut the tissues.

Danger of extinction

A considerable number of ocelots are found living in their natural habitat. However, in recent times the ocelot population is undergoing a rapid decline.

This situation has triggered the alarm worldwide about the danger of extinction that could afflict this species. This has led to protectionist organizations, such as the IUCN, including Leopardus pardalis in their list of animals vulnerable to extinction.

National governments in regions where the ocelot lives are also taking protectionist measures. In 2010, Mexico classified this feline as an endangered species, according to the official Mexican Standard NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010.

Causes

Due to its beautiful fur, the cunaguaro, as it is known in Venezuela, was one of the most hunted medium-sized cats in the 60s and 70s. The annual figure reached 2,000,000 ocelots captured to be traded worldwide.

This animal is not only hunted and poached to sell its fur, but commercially it is also in high demand as an exotic pet. Hunters often kill the females, taking the young to be sold.

Habitat fragmentation

The main threat to Leopardus pardalis is the loss of its natural habitat. The dense forests, where this species usually inhabits, are being used to build agricultural or livestock settlements.

Due to this, large areas of land are cut down to create free areas, destined for sowing or the development of various livestock activities.

The continuous and excessive deforestation in which the ocelot's territory is subjected has not only resulted in the destruction of its habitat. It also causes an imbalance in all aspects related to the development of this animal, especially in its diet.

The species that make up its diet are also affected, so the ocelot is forced to venture into nearby farms, in search of poultry, pigs, goats and sheep. Because of this, they are usually killed.

Actions

This species is on Appendix I of CITES. In the specific case of Leopardus pardalis, its commercialization is only authorized in special circumstances.

Most of the countries where it lives have enacted laws that protect the ocelot, prohibiting, among other things, its hunting. Despite this, although various types of penalties are contemplated, indiscriminate capture for obtaining their skin continues to occur.

Taxonomy

Animal Kingdom.

Subkingdom Bilateria

Chordate phylum

Vertebrate Subfilum.

Mammal class.

Subclass Theria.

Infraclass Eutheria.

Order Carnivora

Felidae family.

Genus Leopardus

Species

Behavior

Like many cats, the ocelot is a solitary, reserved and sedentary animal. Usually it moves alone, although occasionally it may form small groups.

In the territories of the males there may be two or three groups of females. Social interaction between both sexes is minimal, although some adults may group outside the mating period. Also, puppies may interact for a long time with their parents.

Leopardus pardalis can climb trees, jump, and swim in shallow waters. They have both diurnal and nocturnal habits, although the period of greatest activity occurs at night, when they hunt their prey.

During the day, it usually rests quietly inside a hollow tree or on a tall, thick branch, from where it comes down only to feed. When it is on the ground, it is usually hidden in bushes.

Communication

Leopardus pardalis has a developed sense of sight and smell. With this you can locate, track and get close to prey. Its vision is binocular, being adapted for hunting in the dark.

This animal communicates using chemical signals, with which it demarcates the limits of its territory. To achieve this, the ocelot usually deposits urine and feces in one or more places on the ground, called latrines.

It also emits vocalizations, such as howls and meows, to attract mates for the purpose of mating.

Reproduction

The females of this species reach sexual maturity around 18-22 months of age, being able to reproduce up to 13 years. Males become sexually mature at 15 months, however sperm production usually begins at 30 months of age.

Estrus lasts 4 or 5 days, repeating every 25 days, in case the female is not in the gestation stage. Its reproduction rate is low, since it mates once every two years.

In general, Leopardus pardalis does not have a specific season to reproduce. However, those living in Argentina and Paraguay mate frequently in the fall, while those in Texas and Mexico do so in the fall or winter.

Once the male and female have copulated, the gestation period begins, which could last between 70 and 90 days. The birth of the cubs occurs in the burrow, which is generally hidden among the vegetation. The litter is 1 to 3 young, each weighing 200 to 340 grams.

References

1. Paviolo, A., Crawshaw, P., Caso, A., de Oliveira, T., Lopez-Gonzalez, CA, Kell, M., De Angelo, C., Payan, E. (2015). Leopardus pardalis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Recovered from iucnredlist.org.
2. Wikipedia (2019). Ocelot. Recovered from en.wikipedia.com.
3. Kittel, J. (2011). Leopardus pardalis, Animal Diversity Web. Recovered from animaldiversity.org.
4. ITIS (2019). Leopardus pardalis. Recovered from itis.gov.
5. Dana Havlanová, Ivana Gardiánová (2013). Reproductive Characteristics of the Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) under Captive Conditions. Recovered from hrpub.org.