The Margay
(Leopardus wiedii)
Unlike the Ocelot, the Margay has a slimmer body, with a small head, large eyes, narrow spots, and a long, thick tail.
Some facts
It is a spotted feline. The color of the back is brown, with some shades, and the spots are darker brown bordered with black, while the belly and the inner part of the limbs are white with solid black spots. Its pattern of spots is unique to each individual.
They are excellent climbers and are very adapted to arboreal life: since they have wide velvety legs and flexible fingers that allow them to adhere and descend down the trunk of a tree with their heads down (as squirrels do), in addition to their long tail that helps them keep their balance.
The Margay ranges from the tropical lowlands of Mexico south through Central America and the Amazon basin to southern Brazil and Paraguay. Its southernmost limits reaches northeastern Argentina, north-central Rio Grande do Sul state in Brazil and northern Uruguay along riverine forest. Its occurrence in the northeastern part of Brazil is restricted to the Atlantic Forest domain. It generally occurs from 0-1,500 m, however, it has rarely been recorded up to 3,000 m in the Andes. Although the species has a very broad distribution range, its area of occupancy is considerably smaller.
Conservation status and threats
It is listed by the IUCN as "Near Threatened" and in Mexico it is in the status of "Threatened by Extinction" by the Official Mexican Standard NOM-059-Semarnat-2010.
The main threats to margays are:
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Habitat loss due to deforestation.
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Loss and fragmentation of the forest cover in their habitat due to the development of agricultural and livestock activities, public infrastructure works (power lines, dams, roads, irregular human settlements, tourist infrastructure, etc.)
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Poaching.
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Disease outbreaks.
