Ocelot

Ocelot
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae Genus: Leopardus Species: pardalis
Binomial name
Leopardus pardalis

The ocelot (Leopardus pardalis, or Felis pardalis) is a wild cat distributed over South and Central America. Its northernmost occurrence is Texas. It is up to 100 cm (about 3.2 feet) in length, plus 45 cm (about 1.5 foot) tail length.

Ocelots hunt at night, mostly on the ground, sometimes in the trees. Its prey includes monkeys, snakes, rodents and birds.

The ocelot's fur resembles that of a leopard; it was once regarded as particularly valuable. Several 100,000 ocelots were killed for their fur; therefore this cat is now an endangered species in many countries.

Subspecies

• Leopardus pardalis pardalis, Amazon Rainforest
• Leopardus pardalis aequatorialis, northern Andes
• Leopardus pardalis albescens, Mexico, Texas
• Leopardus pardalis maripensis, Venezuela, Guyana
• Leopardus pardalis mearnsi, Central America
• Leopardus pardalis mitis, Argentina, Paraguay
• Leopardus pardalis nelsoni, Mexico
• Leopardus pardalis pseudopardalis, Colombia
• Leopardus pardalis puseaus, Ecuador
• Leopardus pardalis sonoriensis, Mexico
• Leopardus pardalis steinbachi, Bolivia