Ocelot

Physical Characteristics

• The ocelot is a large cat, smaller only than the puma and the jaguar

• It has huge feet

• The base color of its fur is a grayish to cinnamon color and has black spots that become streaks on the neck

• Each ocelot has a unique pattern

• Their head and body length is .7 to .9 m and has a tail of .28 to .4 m

• Females a little smaller than males

• They weigh around 13 kg

Habitat

• Is found from southern Texas to Argentina below 1200 m in dry deciduous forests, primary or secondary rainforests, or valleys

• The national parks they are found in are the Corcovado National Park, Santa Rosa National Park, and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

Behavior

• They eat small rodents to iguanas and peccaries

• They hunt alone and are nocturnal

• Ocelots sleep in trees during the day

• They need sufficient cover to hunt and live

Other Facts

• The Ocelot population was heavily devastated in the past by the fur trade

  • It is now illegal

  • They still are facing trouble because of habitat destruction

• Because of its huge feet it is called mano gordo in Spanish, this means fat hand

• Their Latin name is Leopardus pardalis