Click here to see our fact sheet Tiger Cat Species Complex for new classification of Tiger Cats (2024)
- HB length: 38-59 cm (15-23”)
- Tail length: 20-42 cm (7.8-16”)
- Height: approx 20 cm (8”)
- Weight: 1.8-3.5 kg (4-8 lbs)
- Population Trend: Decreasing
Northern Tiger cats Leopardus tigrinus were previously referred to as Oncillas, Tigrinas, Small-spotted cats or Tiger cats. In 2013 after genetic testing, the Oncilla was split into two species and they are now referred to as either Northern Tiger Cats or Southern Tiger Cats Leopardus guttulus.
Tiger cats are one of the smallest cat species in the Americas, averaging just 2.5 kg. However, while some individuals are small, weighing only 1.8 kg, others are large with a weight of 3.5 kg. They are daintily built cats, with a narrow head and a white line above the eyes. The large ears have a black backside with a central white spot. The irises are golden or light brown.
Males are slightly, but significantly, larger than females. Northern Tiger cats are pale yellow to ochre or grey, marked by small dots that tend to form an open rosette. Melanism is common. The paler belly fur is covered with dark spots. The fur is firm, lies close to the skin and does not turn forward in the nape region as it does on the Ocelot Leopardus pardalis and Margay Leoparus wiedii. Limbs are spotted on the outside and the long tail has spots at the root, developing into a thinly ringed tail with a black tip. The tail measures about 60% of the head and body length.
Distribution
The distribution of the Northern Tiger cat ranges from Costa Rica and Panama in Central America into South America up to Central Brazil. Its southern limits are not yet well known, as well as the extent of a possible overlap with the populations of the Southern Tiger cat. Its distribution in the Amazon basin is possibly patchy and not continuous. The Northern Tiger cat is absent from the Llanos of Colombia and Venezuela, and the Paraguayan Chaco. From Ecuador and Peru, only few museum specimens exist and only in 2000 the species was formally confirmed in Bolivia through live-trapping.
Northern Tiger cat population densities vary but are thought to be very low throughout most of its range, especially in regard to what would be expected of such a small cat species. Generally the Northern Tiger cat occurs at densities of 1-5/100 km², and only in very few and highly localized areas, they reach densities of up to 15-25/100 km². In the Amazon, usually the safeguard region for the tropical American felids, the Northern Tiger cat occurs at exceedingly low densities of perhaps only 0.01 individuals per 100 km². There is evidence that it is also naturally rare and elusive in Central America and some areas of Brazil.
Home ranges of the Tiger cats are 2.5 times larger than would be expected, based on the cat’s body size. This may be another consequence of avoiding larger and potential felid predators. Very few studies on home ranges have been conducted. Home ranges for the Northern Tiger cat vary from 1 to 17.1 km². Female ranges are smaller than those of males.
Habitat
The Northern Tiger cat lives in a wide range of forest habitats, semi-arid thorny scrub, savannah and wet/swampy savannah. In Central and northwestern South America, it is mainly associated with montane cloud forests, where it is usually found at higher elevations than the Ocelot and Margay. The Northern Tiger cat occurs up to an elevation of 3,000 m, occasionally above. In Colombia, it seems to be restricted to elevations above 1,500 m but has been recorded up to 4,800 m. Most records in Costa Rica come from the forests along the flanks of volcanoes at elevations from 1,000 m up to the tree line where it inhabits cloud forests. On the other hand, in Brazil it mainly occurs in the lowlands below 500 m and is commonly associated with savannah, semiarid scrub, as well as forests. Even though it is found in Amazonian rainforests it is not clear to what degree they use this habitat. It can be found in disturbed habitats, even close to human settlements, as long as there is natural cover and prey base.
As a generalist carnivore and the largest and most adaptable of the small cat species in tropical America, the Ocelot dominates the other small cat species. In areas where the Ocelot occurs, species like the Northern Tiger cat avoid those areas because of the threat of predation. This negative effect on other small cat species is called the “ocelot effect”. When Ocelots inhabit protected areas, the smaller cats can be forced into adjacent unprotected areas, where the threat of habitat loss and human interaction is greater.
Ecology
The Northern Tiger cat is a solitary felid. It is active predominantly at night, but can also show varying degrees of diurnal activity. This activity during any time of the day is suggested to be a strategy to avoid the Ocelot. On the other hand, Tiger cat numbers are not affected by the presence of the Margay and Jaguarundi, which are more likely potential competitors for similar sized prey.
Tiger cats are excellent climbers, but spend most of their time on the ground as most of their prey is terrestrial. When threatened, they show an aggressive behavior with arched back and raised hair, besides showing the teeth and producing a “whistling-spiting” vocalization.
The Northern Tiger cat’s diet is still very poorly studied, but is known to be based on small mammals, birds and reptiles (especially lizards). Stomach contents from specimens in Costa Rica and Venezuela included mostly small rodents. Conversely, in the semi-arid Caatinga scrub of northeastern Brazil, the diet comprised 28 items. The main part consisted of lizards, but also included significant amounts of birds and some small rodents. It is suggested that this small felid is a generalist predator, taking advantage of the most readily available resources in the area.
Reproduction
Very little information about the Tiger cat’s reproduction in the wild is available. Reproduction occurs year round, but could show different peaks in different areas. The gestation period lasts for 75-78 days, after which 1-3 kittens are born, but the normal litter is one kitten. The eyes are open at 8–17 days. Weaning occurs at two to three months and young are about adult body size at 11 months of age.
However, sexual maturity is achieved only at about 2-2.5 years, which is rather late for a felid this size. The lifetime number of young potentially produced by a 7 year old female Tiger cat in the wild is generally up to 5. This shows a very low reproductive potential, considering its small size and, especially compared to other felids from other continents. Longevity is reported as 21 years.
Threats
- habitat loss and fragmentation
- persecution by humans
- killing due to poultry depredation
- vehicle collisions on roads
- exposure to domestic carnivore diseases
Conservation
The Northern Tiger cat is classified as Endangered in Brazil and Vulnerable in Colombia. Brazil is the main range country for both the Northern and Southern Tiger cat species.
These cats are protected over part of their range. Hunting is prohibited in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Suriname and Venezuela, but they are not legally protected in Ecuador, Guyana, Nicaragua, Panama and Peru.
Although the international trade in furs has been heavily reduced, illegal hunting and capturing still takes place, mostly for the local market. Historical trade on tiger cats (which would include both species) from 1976 to 1985 consisted of astonishing 352,508 skins.
As the Northern Tiger cat occurs in extremely low numbers in the Amazon Basin protected areas, such areas do not represent a safeguard for this species. The cloud forests in Colombia are being replaced by coffee or eucalyptus plantations, and the Brazilian Cerrado is being converted for grains. Loss of natural cover in the Brazilian Cerrado and Caatinga reaches 55% and 30–50%, respectively. As the Tiger cat shows low densities in protected areas and populations are fragmented, it is even more vulnerable to habitat conversion. Also, this felid is most frequent outside protected areas where its habitat is undergoing high rates of destruction. Thus, conservation efforts should be focused outside protected areas.
Another problem is the lack of knowledge of this cat species. Very little information is available about the Northern Tiger cat’s ecology and status making it difficult to assess threats and their impact. Further research on the ecology, natural history and threats is urgently needed. To reassess its taxonomy is a research priority as the Northern Tiger cat might possibly be divided into two separate species.
Range map IUCN Red List 2018
Updated 2024