The ocelot can appear quite cute like your very own kitty cat at home. Impressively, however, it is twice the size of the average house cat but much smaller and less stocky in build than a Jaguar, with spots tending to form rows. The ocelot is the largest of the three smaller spotted cats (the others are margay and oncilla), all of which can be difficult to distinguish in the field. Of the three, the ocelot is the heaviest in build, and its relatively narrow tail is only as long as the hind legs (would not drag on the ground if held down). Continue reading to find out more about the ocelot.
Features Of The Ocelot
- Fur & Teeth – The ocelot’s fur is extensively marked with solid black markings on a creamy, tawny, yellowish, reddish grey or grey background color. Its fur is short, about 0.8 cm (0.31 in) long on the belly, but with longer, about 1 cm (0.39 in) long guard hairs on the back. It has 28 to 30 teeth.
- Spots & Stripes – The spots on head and limbs are small, but markings on the back, cheeks and flanks are open or closed bands and stripes. A few dark stripes run straight from the back of the neck up to the tip of the tail.
- Neck, Legs, Ears & Eyes – Its neck and undersides are white, the insides of the legs are marked with a few horizontal streaks. Its round ears are marked with a bright white spot. Its eyes are brown but reflect golden when illuminated.
- Length & Weight – It is a medium-sized cat with a head-and-body length of between 55 and 100 cm (22 and 39 in) and a 25.5 to 41 cm (10.0 to 16.1 in) long tail. Females weigh 6.6–11.3 kg (15–25 lbs.) and males 7–15.5 kg (15–34 lbs.). Its spoor measures nearly 2 cm × 2 cm (0.79 in × 0.79 in).
Tip: English naturalist Richard Lydekker commented that the ocelot is “one of the most difficult members of the feline family to describe”. In 1929, wildlife author Ernest Thompson Seton described the ocelot’s coat as “the most wonderful tangle of stripes, bars, chains, spots, dots and smudges … which look as though they were put on as the animal ran by.”
Scientific Classification If The Ocelot
Ocelot – Leopardus pardalis [Scientific name]
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Carnivora
- Suborder: Feliformia
- Family: Felidae
- Subfamily: Felinae
- Genus: Leopardus
- Species: L. pardalis
Habitat Of The Ocelot
The ocelot ranges from the southwestern United States via Mexico and Central America to South America (Guyana) as far south as Argentina up to an elevation of 3,000 m (9,800 ft). It inhabits tropical forest, thorn forest, mangrove swamps and savanna, and prefers areas with relatively dense vegetation cover, but occasionally hunts in more open areas at night.
Did You Know? The ocelot can be easily confused with the margay, but differs in being twice as heavy, having a greater head-and-body length, a shorter tail, smaller eyes relative to the size of the head, and different cranial features. It is similar in size to the bobcat. Larger individuals have occasionally been recorded. The jaguar is notably larger and heavier, and has rosettes instead of spots and stripes.
Diet Of The Ocelot
Ocelots are carnivores and prey on small mammals, such as armadillos, opossums and rabbits, rodents, small birds, fish, insects and reptiles. An ocelot typically preys on animals that weigh less than 1 kilogram (2.2 lb). It rarely targets large animals such as deer and peccaries. An ocelot requires 600–800 grams (21–28 oz) of food every day to satisfy its energy requirements. The composition of the diet may vary by season. Ocelots have been observed to follow scent trails to acquire prey. They tend to eat the kill immediately, and remove feathers before eating birds.
Reproduction Of The Ocelot
Ocelots mate at any time of the year. Peak mating season varies geographically. Oestrus lasts four to five days, and recurs every 25 days in a non-pregnant female. A study in southern Brazil showed that sperm production in ocelots, margays as well as oncillas peaks in summer. Captive ocelots spend more time together when mating; both scent-mark extensively and even eat less during this time. Both male and female ocelots produce a long-range “yowl” in the mating season as well as short-range “meow”.
Kittens: A litter of one to three is born after a gestational period of 79 to 83 days. Females give birth in dens, usually located in dense vegetation. A newborn kitten weighs 200–340 g (7.1–12.0 oz). A study in southern Texas revealed that a mother keeps a litter in a den for 13 to 64 days, and shifts the young to two to three dens. The kitten’s eyes open 15 to 18 days after birth. Kittens begin to leave the den at the age of three months. They remain with their mother for up to two years, and then start dispersing and establishing their own territory. In comparison to other felids, ocelots have a relatively longer duration between births and a narrow litter size. Captive ocelots live for up to 20 years.
Five Facts About The Ocelot
- Ocelots are strongly nocturnal, resting in trees or dense brush during the day.
- Ocelots are very active, traveling from one to five miles per night. Males usually travel further than females, especially to look for mates.
- Unlike many cats, they do not avoid water and can swim well.
- Ocelots do not have teeth appropriate for chewing, so they tear their food to pieces and swallow it whole.
- Like all small cats, ocelots have very good vision and hearing. Their eyes have a special layer that collects light, so ocelots can see much better in the dark than we can.
Ocelots In Guyana
This captivating animal can be seen in the Guyana Zoo, he is known to be active as he jumps around and climbs his tree. They can also be seen in the Iwokrama Rain Forest. The color of this cat is eye-catching, well decorated with its stripes and spots. They have unique abilities and personalities. One distinct feature is that the ocelot is the largest of the three smaller spotted cats – yes, the ocelot is larger than the margay and oncilla.
Article References:
- http://guyanachronicle.com/2015/08/30/wildcats-of-guyana
- https://iwokrama.org/mammals/guides/carn1.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocelot
- https://defenders.org/wildlife/ocelot
- https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/o/ocelot/
- https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/ocelot
