Ocelot
Leopardus pardalis
Did you know?
- Each ocelot has a different coat pattern, and the right and left side patterns and color of an ocelot’s coat are not the same.
- Like all small cats, ocelots have very good vision and hearing.
- They are primarily active at night, especially at dawn and dusk, and are very secretive.
- Ocelots prey mainly on small rodents, but they will sometimes eat other small animals like birds, snakes, lizards and rabbits.
- Ocelots are also good swimmers, climbers and jumpers.
Family Life
Like many cat species, the mom is the sole caretaker for her young. Females are pregnant for a little over two months before they give birth in a secluded shelter like a hollow tree or thick bush. Females typically have one to two cubs at a time, and they do a wonderful job protecting and caring for them. Youngsters grow fast! By 4 to 6 weeks old, they are learning to hunt. At 8 weeks old, they are eating solid foods. And by 8 months old, they can hunt for themselves.
A Cat in Peril
The ocelot is the most imperiled wild cat native to the U.S. It is estimated that there are fewer than 120 individuals left in two isolated populations in south Texas. The U.S. population was listed as Endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2016. The main threats to ocelots include road mortality, expansion of agriculture and urban zones, and potential catastrophic effects of localized natural disaster or disease outbreak.
Threat Level
- Unknown
- Common
- Near Threatened
- Threatened
- Endangered
- Critically Endangered
- Extinct in the Wild
Endangered
The U.S. population is listed as Endangered.
Habitat
Ocelots prefer to live in areas with thick vegetation, such as dense chaparral or tropical rainforests.
Range
Very southern region of Texas all the way to northern Argentina in South America.
