Ocelot

• HB Length: 50-101 cm (20-40″)
• Tail Length: 30-50 cm (12-20″)
• Height: 40-50 cm (16-20″)
• Weight: 8-15 kg (17-33 lbs)
• Pop. Trend: Decreasing

Ocelots Leopardus pardalis are one of the more beautiful feline species. Their coat is short and soft, forming two whorls on the shoulder, the hairline on the neck being directed towards the crown. Ground colour varies from whitish or tawny yellow to reddish grey. Markings run into chain-like streaks and blotches, forming elongate spots bordered with black enclosing an area darker than the ground colour. The head is rather large with two black cheek stripes on each side surrounding an almost white area. Irises are brown or golden. The underside is snowy white with black spots, and the tail is ringed or barred with black on the upper side, whitish on the underside, and black tipped. Relatively short, stout legs, with large padded feet, are marked with solid black spots and bars. Like most wild cats, the backs of the rounded ears are black with a white central spot.

Distribution

The distribution range of the Ocelot is large. Currently, it spans from southern Texas in the U.S. to Mexico throughout Central and South America south to north-eastern Argentina, southern Brazil and occasionally into northwestern Uruguay. It does not occur in Chile. In 2010, an Ocelot was recorded in Arizona, where it occurred historically.

The Ocelot reaches the highest densities of all Neotropical wild cat species, with an average of 31.1 individuals per 100 km². Ocelot densities vary from 2.5-160 individuals/100 km². The highest recorded density was detected at the Barro Colorado Island in Panama. The lowest densities were detected at the Pine Forest of Belize, the Caatinga in Brazil and in dry areas of Mexico.

This is one of the few small cat species that has been studied in several different habitat types. Home range sizes vary from 4-90 km² for males to 1-75 km² for females. Male ranges overlap those of several females.

Habitat

Throughout its vast range, the Ocelot occupies a large variety of different habitats. It lives from mangroves to high altitude cloud forest, but tends to be more commonly associated with areas of thick vegetative cover. Ocelots were also recorded in mosaic habitats where the native vegetation has been partially replaced by pine plantations or agricultural fields. The Ocelot is very adaptable to disturbance if its main habitat features are present: sufficient amount of cover as well as a high prey density. They have been associated not only with dense cover but also use adjacent open areas, including boundary areas of agricultural fields where the rodent density is high. Ocelots generally avoid open areas and seem to venture into them only on cloudy days or moonless nights. They typically occur at elevations below 1,200 m and have occasionally been recorded up to 3,800 m.

A camera trap study found much higher densities in wildlife corridors, which are used by the cats to move between forest fragments. In disturbed landscapes they were much more likely to use riparian corridors, relying on the shrubs and trees alongside rivers for protective cover.

Ocelot density studies report estimates vary from 2.9 individuals per 100 km² in Mexican tropical deciduous forests up to 94.7 individuals per km² in the northern Peruvian Amazon.

Ecology

Ocelots are opportunistic carnivores, eating whatever they can catch. They prey on a variety of small to large sized prey. They were thought to rely mostly on small mammals such as small rodents and marsupials like cane mice, marsh, spiny and rice rats, and opossums. However, it has been recently been shown that Ocelots could be dependent on larger prey like agoutis, pacas, armadillos, monkeys, sloths and even deer.

Birds and reptiles (snakes, small and very large lizards, like iguanas and tegus, and tortoises) are also taken. In some areas, Ocelots take advantage of seasonally available resources like fish and crabs.

The Ocelot generally hunts on the ground, but is known to take down arboreal species like monkeys and sloths. Its hunting behaviour varies, taking advantage of seasonal changes in prey abundance. It is a good swimmer and excellent climber, escaping into trees when it is threatened.

Primarily nocturnal, these powerfully built cats are solitary and territorial.  Active 12-14 hours per day, they rest during the day in brushpiles, clumps of vines or amid the roots of large trees. Although they are generally more active at night, some daytime hunting occurs during the wet season, particularly on cloudy or overcast days.

They spend the majority of their time walking slowly throughout their range, often strolling down game trails looking for prey. They are also ‘sit and wait’ predators, sitting motionless for 30-60 minutes at a den or burrow site, then moving rapidly to another site where they sit and wait again.

Researchers have found that these cats cross and re-cross their home range in search of prey, sometimes covering their entire range every two to four days. Males generally travel twice as far as females due to their higher energy requirements, and the need to check on the sexual condition of the females within their range.

Ocelot densities do not seem to be impacted by the presence of the larger Jaguar Panthera onca and Puma Puma concolor which also share much of the same range. In Costa Rica, one scat study during the rainy season found that Ocelots were the second most common prey species eaten by Jaguars, while a follow up survey in the dry season found no predation by the larger cats.

Reproduction

After a 70 – 80 day gestation, one to three kittens are born in a dense thicket or among the roots of a fallen tree. The young remain in and around the den for several weeks, and remain dependent on their mother for several months. Sexual maturity is reached at about a year and a half for females and two and a half years for males. They disperse from their mother’s range at about two years. Wild Ocelots may breed year round in the tropics, however the Texas cats show a fall breeding peak which could be a factor limiting their expansion into more northern habitat. Longevity has been reported at 27 years in a captive situation.

Threats

• habitat destruction and fragmentation due to logging
• loss of prey base and cover
• illegal fur trade
• taken for the pet trade
• retaliatory killing due to depredation of livestock
• killed by traffic

Conservation

Classed as Least Concern by the IUCN, the Ocelot is protected in most countries of its distribution range. Hunting is prohibited in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela and regulated in Peru.

This species has always been exploited in the wild by the pet trade, with the usual method of capture being to kill the mother to obtain the kittens. These cats can still be found in local markets in Central and South America for sale to the tourists as pets, although it is illegal to transport them without permits.

From the early 1960’s to the 80’s the Ocelot population declined heavily due to the extensive fur trade. In this time period more than 566,000 ocelot pelts were officially sold. After the implementation of new protection measures in 1989 and by putting import bans on all spotted cat species the trade slowed down.

One of the greatest threats to the species in Texas has been the automobile. Patches of suitable habitat are widely spaced and the migration of juveniles looking for their own territory result in the death of many animals as they cross roads. In Texas, measures to mitigate Ocelots killed by traffic are now in place. In many regions the Ocelot could recover and in November 2009 an individual was observed as far north as Arizona, where it historically roamed.

The Ocelot has generally been considered to be tolerant to disturbed habitat. Recent studies however depict a more specialized animal operating under rather harsh environmental constraints. The number of Ocelots is not known exactly but it is presumed to be declining across its range.

Watch these videos on the Texas Ocelots or compare these cats to the very similar Margay.

Range map IUCN Red List 2018

Updated 2018