The Ocelot
(Leopardus pardalis)
is a medium-sized spotted wild cat native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and to the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Margarita.
Some facts
It has a robust body, large head, small eyes, thick spots, short and thin tail. The ocelot's coat is short, sleek, and marked with solid, open-center spots that blend into lines, perfectly patterned to blend in with a world of light and shadow.
The original distribution of the Ocelot was from southern Texas, in the United States, to northern Argentina. Currently it is widely distributed from United States and Mexico through Central and South America south to North Argentina, southern Brazil and Uruguay, found in every country except Chile.
Conservation status and threats
It is listed by the IUCN as "Least Concern" although its populations are known to be declining globally. In Mexico, it is in the status of "Endangered" by the Official Mexican Standard NOM-059-Semarnat-2010.
The main threats to the Ocelot are:
-
Loss and fragmentation of habitat due to the development of agricultural and livestock activities, and public infrastructure (power lines, dams, roads, irregular human settlements, tourist infrastructure, etc.)
-
Poaching of the species and its prey, which encourages, due to the lack of food availability, that in the long run this feline approaches farms in search of food, causing damage and increasing human-wildlife conflicts. Opportunistically it is hunted for its skin, and it is common to find Ocelot skins on ranches in Mexico.
-
Collisions with vehicles on paved roads.
