Ocelot
Ocelot | |
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An ocelot in a zoo in Brazil | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Suborder: | Feliformia |
Family: | Felidae |
Subfamily: | Felinae |
Genus: | Leopardus |
Species: | L. pardalis
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Binomial name | |
Leopardus pardalis | |
Subspecies | |
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Distribution of the ocelot (2016)[1] | |
Synonyms[2] | |
List
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The ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) is a medium-sized spotted
The ocelot is efficient at climbing, leaping and swimming. It prefers areas close to water sources with dense vegetation cover and high prey availability. It preys on small terrestrial mammals, such as
The ocelot is listed as
Etymology
The name "ocelot" comes from the Nahuatl word ōcēlōtl (pronounced [oːˈseːloːt͡ɬ]), which generally refers to the jaguar, rather than the ocelot.[3][4][5] Another possible origin for the name is the Latin ocellatus ("having little eyes" or "marked with eye-like spots"), in reference to the cat's spotted coat.[6]
Other vernacular names for the ocelot include cunaguaro (Venezuela), gato onza (Argentina), gato tigre (Panama), heitigrikati (Suriname), jaguatirica, maracaja (Brazil), manigordo (Costa Rica, Panama and Venezuela), mathuntori, ocelote, onsa, pumillo, tiger cat (Belize), tigrecillo (Bolivia) and tigrillo (Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Peru).[2][7]
Taxonomy
Felis pardalis was the
Several ocelot specimens were described in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including:[2][11]
- Felis mitis by Frédéric Cuvier in 1824 was a specimen from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[12]
- F. chibi-gouazou by Edward Griffith in 1827 was based on earlier descriptions and illustrations.[13]
- Leopardus griseus by John Edward Gray in 1842 was a spotted cat skin from Central America.[9]
- F. pseudopardalis by Pierre Boitard in 1845 was an ocelot kept in the Jardin des plantes.[14]
- F. melanura by Robert Ball in 1844 was a specimen from British Guiana.[15]
- F. albescens by Jacques Pucheran in 1855 was a specimen from Brownsville, Texas.[16]
- F. aequatorialis by Edgar Alexander Mearns in 1903 was a skin of an adult female ocelot from Talamanca canton in Costa Rica.[17]
- F. maripensis and F. sanctaemartae by Joel Asaph Allen in 1904 were skins of two adult female ocelots from Maripa, Venezuela and Santa Marta district in Colombia, respectively.[18]
- F. pardalis pusaea by Oldfield Thomas in 1914 was an ocelot skin and skull from Guayas Province in coastal Ecuador.[19]
- F. pardalis nelsoni and F. p. sonoriensis by Edward Alphonso Goldman in 1925 as subspecies of F. pardalis, based on specimens from Manzanillo and the Mayo River region respectively in Mexico.[20]
- L. pardalis steinbachi by Buena Vista, Ichilo in Bolivia.[21]
Subspecies
In 1919, Allen reviewed the specimens described until 1914, placed them into the genus Leopardus and recognized nine subspecies as valid taxa based on the colors and spot patterns of skins.[10] In 1941, Pocock reviewed dozens of ocelot skins in the collection of the Natural History Museum and regrouped them to nine different subspecies, also based on their colors and spots.[22] Later authors recognized 10 subspecies as valid.[23][24][11]
In 1998, results of a mtDNA control region analysis of ocelot samples indicated that four major ocelot groups exist, one each in Central America, northwestern South America, northeastern South America and southern South America south of the Amazon River.[25] A 2010 study of morphological features noted significant differences in the size and color of the Central and South American populations, suggesting they could be separate species.[26] In 2013, a study of craniometric variation and microsatellite diversity in ocelots throughout the range recognized three subspecies: L. p. albescens from the Texas–Mexico border, L. p. pardis from Central America and L. p. pseudopardalis from South America, though L. p. mitis may comprise the ocelot population in the southern part of South America.[27]
In 2017, the Cat Classification Task Force of the
- L. p. pardalis has a greyish fur. Its range extends from Texas and Arizona to Costa Rica.
- L. p. mitis has a more yellowish fur and is larger than pardalis. It occurs in South America as far south as northern Argentina.
Phylogeny
Results of a
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Characteristics
The ocelot's fur is extensively marked with solid black markings on a creamy, tawny, yellowish, reddish gray or gray background color. The spots on the 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. Its neck and undersides are white, and the insides of the legs are marked with a few horizontal streaks. Its round ears are marked with a bright white spot.
With a head-and-body length ranging from 55 to 100 cm (21.7 to 39.4 in) and a 30 to 45 cm (11.8 to 17.7 in) long tail, the ocelot is the largest member of the genus Leopardus.[6] It typically reaches 40–50 cm (15.7–19.7 in) at the shoulder.[2] The weight of females ranges between 7 and 12 kg (15 and 26 lb) and of males between 8 and 18 kg (17.6 and 39.7 lb).[6][36] Its footprint measures nearly 5 cm × 5 cm (2 in × 2 in).[37]
The ocelot can be confused with the margay (Leopardus wiedii) and the oncilla (L. tigrinus), though the ocelot is noticeably larger and heavier with a shorter tail. Though all three have rosettes on their coats, the ocelot typically has a more blotched pattern; the oncilla has dark spots on its underbelly unlike the other two. Other differences lie in the facial markings, appearance of the tail and fur characteristics.[6][38] The ocelot is similar in size to a bobcat (Lynx rufus), though larger individuals have occasionally been recorded.[39] The jaguar is notably larger and heavier, and has rosettes instead of spots and stripes.[40]
Distribution and habitat
The ocelot ranges from the southwestern United States to northern Argentina, up to an elevation of 3,000 m (9,800 ft).
It inhabits tropical forests,
It shares a large part of its range with the jaguar, jaguarundi, margay, oncilla and cougar.[6]
Ecology and behavior
The ocelot is usually solitary and active mainly during twilight and at night.
During the daytime, it rests on trees, in dens below large trees or other cool, sheltered sites on the ground. It is agile in climbing and leaping, and escapes predators by jumping on trees. It is also an efficient swimmer. It scent-marks its territory by spraying urine. The territories of males are 3.5–46 km2 (1.4–17.8 sq mi) large, while those of females cover 0.8–15 km2 (0.31–5.79 sq mi). Territories of females rarely overlap, whereas the territory of a male includes those of two to three females. Social interaction between sexes is minimal, though a few adults have been observed together even in non-mating periods, and some juveniles interact with their parents.[6] Data from camera trapping studies confirm that several ocelot individuals deposit scat in one or several communal sites, called latrines.[50][51][52] Ocelots can be aggressive in defending their territory, fighting even to death.[53]
The population density of ocelots has been observed to be high in areas with high rainfall, but tends to decrease with increasing latitude; highest densities have been recorded in the tropics.[54] In 2014, the ocelot population density in Barro Colorado Island was estimated to be 1.59–1.74/km2 (4.1–4.5/sq mi), greater than 0.984/km2 (2.55/sq mi) recorded in northwestern Amazon in Peru in 2010, which was the densest ocelot population recorded thus far.[55][56]
Potential predators of the ocelot in Texas include the
Hunting and diet
Ocelots have been observed to follow
Primates prevail in the diet of ocelots in southeastern Brazil
Reproduction and life cycle
Both male and female ocelots produce a long-range "yowl" in the mating season and a short-range "meow".
The female gives birth to a litter of one to three kittens after a gestation period of two to three months. Dens are usually located in dense vegetation. A newborn kitten weighs 200–340 g (7.1–12.0 oz).[6][36] The kitten is born with spots and stripes, though on a gray background; the color changes to golden as the ocelot grows older.[31] 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 or three dens.[67] 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.[6]
Threats
Throughout its range, the ocelot is threatened by
The
Another threat has been the international
Conservation
The ocelot is listed as
In Texas
In Texas and northeastern Mexico, ocelot populations have reduced drastically; as of 2014, the population in Texas is estimated to be 50–80 individuals. The reduced numbers have led to increased inbreeding and low
In captivity
The
In culture
Ocelots have been associated with humans since the time of the
"According to the well-known myth, Tezcatlipoca, when cast down from heaven by Quetzalcoatl, "fell into the water where he transformed himself into an ocelot" and arose to kill certain giants.
Moreover, she described a photograph of a seated person to corroborate her claim:[82]
At the back of his head, above his left hand, the head of an ocelot is visible, whose skin hangs behind his back, the tail ending below his knee. Besides this the personage wears leggings made of the spotted ocelot skin and a rattlesnake girdle from which hang two conventionalized hearts. It is interesting to find that in a note written beneath its photograph the late Senor Islas de Bustamante, independently identified the above figure as a representation of "Ocelotl-Tezcatlipoca" or Tlatoca-ocelot, lit. the Lord Ocelot ... and described as wearing "the beard of the mask of Tezcatlipoca".
Like many other felids, occasionally ocelots are kept as pets. They might demand a lot of attention from their owners and have a tendency to chew on or suck on objects, such as fabric and the fingers of their owners; this can lead them to accidentally ingest objects such as tennis balls. Agile and playful, pet ocelots can be troublesome to keep due to their habit of leaping around and potentially damaging objects; ocelots may unintentionally injure their owners with bites. Nevertheless, carefully raised ocelots can be highly affectionate.[83] Painter
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{{cite book}}
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External links
- "Ocelot". IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group.
- "Leopardus pardalis". CITES. Archived from the original on 2019-12-15. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
- "Leopardus pardalis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- "Ocelot". National Geographic Society. 2010-11-11. Archived from the original on January 15, 2010.
- "Leopardus ID: ocelot, margay, oncilla". International Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC) Canada. 30 June 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
- "Ocelot". Buffalo Zoo. Retrieved 24 December 2019.