The one of the most beautiful cats because of its rich and colourful coat.
This cat specie, which is locally called tigrillo, meaning little tiger, is of medium size and measures up to almost 1.40 metres without its tail, which can reach another 50 cm. Its coat has a beautiful creamy to yellowish colour with dark spots in it.

Order Family Genus Specie

CARNIVORA FELIDAE Leopardus L. pardalis

Ocelots live in the tropical and subtropical rainforests of the Americas but also can be found occasionally in temperate forested regions as well. They are shy animals and like to spend great parts of their time in trees, hidden between their branches. It hunts by day or night and their diet consists of great quantity of rodents, whose population they help to keep under control. Other animals devoured by ocelots are birds, frogs, snakes and other smaller animals. They are solitary animals but mate anytime in the season. Females have usually one cub but can have a litter up to four after a gestation period of around 60 days. The cubs stay with their mother till they are ready to establish their own territory.

Range Habitat Ecuador Status South USA - Argentina Tropical and other forests Amazon region Endangered
	front            hind [50 % of actual size]

Although ocelots do not represent any danger to humans or their domestic animals, they are nevertheless endangered as human intervention like the cutting down of forests, destroys their natural habitat. They are hunted by the same ones, not for its meat but for its beautiful fur, which is desired by many people. Man's vanity and his desire to possess valuable and rare things bring this most beautiful cat on the brink of extinction without any possible return.