The Wild Cat Margay

Leopardus Wiedii, Margay is often called Tree Ocelotregional distribution:
owing to its unparalleled arboreal skills among cats.Leopardus Wiedii Wiedii - Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay,
Weighing usually in the range of ten to fifteen pounds, itUruguay
is up to four feet long, inclusive of tail.Leopardus Wiedii Nicaraguae - Costa Rica, Honduras,
Fur is yellowish in base coloration. There are variousNicaragua
dark markings in the form of blotches over its body.Leopardus Wiedii Pirrensis - Colombia, Ecuador,
Belly and under parts are lighter. Tails are long andPanama, Peru
ringed. Subspecies living at higher altitudes haveLeopardus Wiedii Amazonicus - Brazil, Colombia, Peru
greater spots and marks than the cats living in plains.and Venezuela
An extraordinary morphological trait is the ankle jointLeopardus Wiedii Boliviae - Bolivia
that allows movement of 180° of its paws, enablingLeopardus Wiedii Salvinius - Chiapas, El Salvador and
the Margay to descend head first from trees, hangGuatemala
from its branches with just one foot and move upsideLeopardus Wiedii Yucatanicus - Yucatán
down beneath branches - giving the cat an almostLeopardus Wiedii Cooperi - Mexico
ape-like ease of movement on trees.Leopardus Wiedii Glauculus - Mexico
Despite the predominantly arboreal lifestyle, MargayLeopardus Wiedii Oaxacensis - Mexico
also hunts on ground taking a variety of animalsEven as some evidence suggests that the cats may
including insects, squirrels, lizards, birds, eggs, tree frogsbe sociable in the wild, they are generally thought to be
and small monkeys. It is often seen moving speedilysolitary. Generally one kitten is born after a pregnancy
among trees chasing monkeys. A nocturnal andlasting around eighty days. Maturity is reached within
solitary feline, alongside Clouded Leopard, Margay isthe first year of life. Lifespan of up to twenty years
believed to be the best tree climber among cats.has been recorded in captivity. Fur trade and loss of
Seen in a number of South American countries,habitat have had serious toll on the numbers of
Margay, also known as the Long-tail Spotted Cat, isMargay in the wild.
divided into a number of subspecies based upon its