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The ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) looks like a miniature jaguar, with a tawny coat covered with darker spots. On the head and along the back some spots merge to make rough stripes of darker fur. The spot pattern is the ocelot's "fingerprint," being unique to each individual. The ocelot is similar to a house cat in build, although rather larger. Males reach about 12 kilograms; females are a bit smaller. It has relatively large paws compared with a house cat and large eyes, indicating a nocturnal lifestyle.

Among the most widely distributed cats in the Americas, the ocelot ranges from northern Argentina in South America to southern Texas. It is tolerant of a wide range of habitats, being found to about 1,000 meters elevation in rainforest to desert scrub, where they inhabit riverside woodlands. The ocelot prefers tangled undergrowth along wooded riverside habitats, where their tracks may be seen along muddy banks. It is mostly terrestrial and seems to not like climbing trees much, although they will use branches to move around the forest or across a river. Although the ocelot will come out during the day, it hunts primarily at night, sometimes patrolling man-made trails. Ocelots are tolerant of human presence and often roam close to villages where they might prey on chickens. However, it is likely they play a beneficial role by hunting pest rodents and snakes. As they remain secluded in dense vegetation during the day, they are rarely seen in the wild.

Like all cats, the ocelot is an efficient predator. Hunting is done almost entirely on the ground, where its main prey is rodents although snakes, birds, lizards and other small vertebrates are also part of its diet. In the Amazon, typical diet includes the larger rodents such as agouti and paca.

Females outnumber males about two to one. Mating is non-seasonal, taking place any time of year. Kittens are born after about 70 days gestation. Dens are located in dense undergrowth and a single female may use several dens, moving the kittens from one to the other as the kittens are growing. One to two kittens are born in a litter in dry areas, up to four in wet forested regions. Once a kitten is about six months old, its chances of surviving increase. If the litter fails, the females quickly come into breeding condition and may thereby produce more than one litter a year.

The ocelot was listed as endangered in the USA in 1982 and globally is considered threatened. Importation of ocelot pelts into the United States was prohibited in 1972. It appears safe from extinction since hunting for its skin is less intensive than previously. Decline in the fur trade for clothing has led to lower demand for the skin. Ocelot populations are robust in some areas. It is locally common in places where habitat and prey abundance are favorable. The main threat is habitat reduction due to human activities. They are prone to automobile collisions where roads are built, and this can be a significant cause of mortality. Reduction of prey populations and loss of suitable habitat for breeding are detrimental to the long-term survival of ocelots.

The Aztecs and other native American Indians revered the ocelot, for its beauty and hunting skill. Its name comes from from the Mexican Aztec word "tlalocelot" which means meaning "tiger of the field." The claws and skin were used in ceremonial garb. In the British Museum, a statue of Quetzalcoatl (the Aztec God of civilization and learning) has ocelot claw ear-rings. The constellation of stars in the night sky that we call the Big Dipper (or Great Bear) was known to the early Mexicans as Tezcatlipoca who took the form of the ocelot. This god transformed himself into the sun to light the world for the first time. The other gods were angry so they created a race of giants to destroy Tezcatlipoca. These giants lived wild and did not plant crops or till the soil. They ate acorns, roots, and berries. One of the jealous gods was Quetzalcoatl who was benevolent and the founder of civilization, agriculture and the arts. Tezcatlipoca was evil and the patron of magicians. He was god of the night, all-powerful and could assume many forms. Quetzalcoatl took a staff and struck down Tezcatlipoca, casting him into the waters whereupon Tezcatlipoca assumed the form of the ocelot. In the darkness that followed, this cat devoured all the giants. Before then humans had also lived wild, without reason, but after the fall of Tezcatlipoca they could live the way Quetzalcoatl showed them. The day of the week this happened is known by the Aztecs as "Four Ocelot," which is how it is called on the calendar.


Leopardus pardalis (ocelot)
Ocelot: Leopardus pardalis
Key facts on the ocelot
Leopardus pardalis (digimorph skull)
Creature World: Ocelot
The Belize Zoo—Ocelot
Taxonomy Species: Ocelot
Last of the Ocelots in the United States
Ocelot Research (in Texas)
Mammals of Texas: Ocelot
Aztec Creation Myths (ref. ocelot)
Animal Omnibus: ocelot links

Mainly photos
Ocelot Photo Ocelot
Ocelot: Felis pardalis
Ocelots at EFBC/FCC
skull photos

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