Facts and Features of South American Ocelot

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genre: Leopardus
Scientific Name: Leopardus pardalis
Common Name: Ocelot
Otro nombre (s): Painted leopard
Group: Mammal
Number of species: 1
Found : South America
Habitat: Tropical forest, grasslands and wetlands
Color: Tostado, Yellow, Red, Gray, Black
Skin Type :Fur
Size (L): 55 cm - 100 cm (22 inches - 40 inches)
Weight: 11.5 kg - 16 kg (25 lbs - 35 lbs)
Maximum speed: 61kph (38 mph)
Diet: Carnivorous
Prey: rodents, lizards, deer
Attackers: jaguar, puma him, eagle harpía
Lifestyle: Night / Crepuscular
Group behavior: Solitary
Duration of the life: 8-12 years
Edad of sexual maturity: 2-3 years
It gestation period of 79-85 days
Average litter size: 2
Name of Young:Kitten
Edad del weaning: 6 weeks
Preservation Status: Least Concern
Estimated Population Size: 800,000
Major threats:Habitat Loss
More distinctive trait: rosettes, spots and stripes in the skin

Funny Info:Popularly known as painted leopard

Classification and Evolution of South American Ocelot 

The ocelot is a medium sized cat found in jungles of South America. The ocelot is popularly known as the Painted Leopard because the marks on it's skin as it shows dark rosettes with spots and stripes.Similar in colouration to much smaller , but nearly attached to Margay , the Ocelot was closely moved to extinction in the 20th century as they commonly killed for their skin. Today, however,the national protection in most of its natural range has made the Ocelot population has been able to recover a bit . The ocelot is a strong and agile cat , which not only can climb and run well, but also can swim quiet well,and they are not afraid of water, as many other cat species .

Anatomy and appearance of South American Ocelot 

The Ocelot is short and thick skin is usually velvety that is normally tawny-yellow to reddish-grey in color and marked with black rosettes on its back and sides. There are dark spots on their legs and stripes on the head and face, which are altogether a different characteristics for  the individual. They have a long tail that usually marked with dark rings and big legs relative to body size. As all feline species ( with the exception of the cheetah ) , ocelot can retract their claws into safety pockets that prevent them from being blunt , while Ocelot is walking around . Males tend to be collectively larger than females and can grow up to a meter long with a tail half of body size above that. The Ocelot contains sharply pointed front teeth are used to bite into their prey and blade -like teeth as on each cheek used for tearing food.

Habitat of South American Ocelot 

The Ocelot is found in tropical South America , but is most common in the jungles of the Amazon basin . They are , however , widely  spread and inhabit a variety of habitats from southern Texas to north parts of Argentina . The ocelot is a very adaptable animals that can be found in a variety of habitats, including tropical forests ,grasslands, mangroves and marshes and there should be a plenty of dense vegetation . Although Ocelot is generally below 1200 meters above sea level, are also known to live in the high slopes of the Andes and found at altitudes of up to 3,800 meters. Like all good swimmers, also sometimes found in flooded forests and have been reported to live near human settlements .

Temperament and lifestyle of South American Ocelot 

The ocelot is a solitary animal , which occupies an area of up to 30 square kilometers depending on the surroundings. Males tend to patrol areas that are often twice the size of females , "and one that overlaps with the areas of distribution of a series of women (with which man has breeding rights.) The ocelot is a nocturnal animal that spends its time sleeping well in dense vegetation or high , leafy branch .They have excellent sight, touch and hearing which helps to hunt at night, and communicate with each other using soft meows which turns to loud Yowls while finding a partner to mate.The ocelot is very secretive animal that is extremely rare in parts of its natural range and is based mainly in dense vegetation , only venturing outside during night.

Reproduction and Life Cycles of South American Ocelot 

At the heart of the tropics,ocelots are known to breed throughout the year ,but in the north and south natural range , the breeding season usually occurs towards the last of summer. After mating ,the female Ocelot find a crack in the rock , a tree hollow or nest in a dense and thorny  thicket for her to have a little privacy and protection as she prepares to give birth . After a gestation period of up to 85 days, the Ocelot woman will give birth to 2 or 3 kittens are born blind and have a thin layer of dark skin. Within a month ,Ocelot kittens see their surroundings and their skin becomes much denser and more colorful .Although Ocelot kittens reach maturity when they are a year old and are capable of becoming independent , are often tolerated in the range of her mother 's house for a couple of years before leaving to establish a own territory .

Diet and Prey of South American Ocelot 

The ocelot is a carnivorous animal that hunts for food at night and it is done by stalking prey mainly on the ground. Although small mammals such as rodents make up the largest part of their diet , which are known to hunt a variety of small animals such as rabbits , birds, fish, crabs , lizards and snakes and even small deer on occasion.The Ocelot is also known to eat monkeys , turtles ,armadillos and anteaters , but have been known to cause problems to kill domestic birds when not enough food available. As ocelot preys on many different animal species ,which are a vital part of local ecosystems and the extensive menu also helps them adapt more easily to different habitats.

Predators of South American Ocelot 

Other cats such as jaguars and pumas prey on the smaller Ocelot , along with the birds of prey such as the harpy eagle and the world's largest snake ,the Anaconda .Although its unique and distinctive coat Ocelot actually provides some camouflage in the dense vegetation surrounding it , but also the skin that has led to massive population declines throughout much of their historic range.Killed for their skin ( known as pelts ), particularly from the 1960s and 1980s , ocelot almost extinct in the wild , along with the fact that they were captured and kept as exotic pets.The time since the ocelot became a protected species  in many countries , the numbers have increased, but are now threatened by deforestation of their habitat.

Interesting Facts of South American Ocelot 

In a manner similar to many other species of small wild cat , the ocelot has been kept as a pet by many people around  history.The most famous of these was the abstract artist Salvador Dalí who was known to travel frequently with its domestic Ocelot.The Ocelot is also believed to have been worshiped by ancient Peruvian cultures ( similar to the ancient Egyptians worship cats), and these cultures is usually represented the beautiful Ocelot in their art work. The Ocelot is thought to be active for at least 12 hours a day and can travel distances of up to seven miles in that time ,with males generally covers twice the distance of their female.

South American Ocelot Relationship with humans 

The Ocelot was seen as a sacred animal by ancient cultures ,but its very well shaped and soft leather quickly attracted the attention of hunters. Ocelot Population figures were severely depleted throughout its natural range  during the 1960s and 1970s , when they thought they were so extensively hunted , as many as 200,000 skins were being traded every year and sell for around $ 40,000 . Despite being wild and dominant predators ,Ocelot has also been captured in the market selling as an exotic pets that fortunately left after Ocelot was included in the List of Endangered Species .Although the ocelot is protected in most countries of their natural range and numbers have increased , especially in certain areas populations are being severely affected by increasing human activity, mainly due to deforestation and the growing settlements .

Conservation Status and Life Today of South American Ocelot 

Today, the ocelot is listed by the IUCN as a species that is least concern for extinction in the wild in the near future . Although some populations are small and unstable , the ocelot is widespread, but the general trend of the population is decreasing. This is mainly due to habitat loss as areas  in the Amazon , which tends to deforestation and no longer provide dense cover and adequate food supply that Ocelot needs for living.