The Ocelot
(Leopardus pardalis)
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By: Alejandro Lopez
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Description
The largest of the small spotted cats, the ocelot is the most recognizable cat species of the South American cats. These cats have sleek tawny yellow skin, sometimes reddish or grey, with blotched like spots that consist of a solid black outline with a dark yellow/brownish center. The underside is bright white with black spots, and the tail has black rings throughout its length.
Ecology
These
cats are mostly nocturnal, spending most of the day resting in trees or in
thick vegetation, while at night they hunt for their prey. The ocelot diet
ranges from small rodents, to birds and reptiles (like iguanas, snakes and
tortoises), to larger prey (like monkeys, deer, and armadillos). Unlike most
cats, the ocelot doesn’t avoid water and is a good swimmer. Due to this their
diet also expands into fish and crabs.
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| http://www.zooborns.com/.a/ 6a010535647bf3970b0192ac94929d970d-500wi |
When
it comes to reproduction, the ocelot has a gestation period lasting about 70-80
days. With each gestation the female cat can yield anywhere from one to three kittens,
averaging about 1.4. Breeding tends to happen year round in the tropics, while
in other areas they tend to be more seasonal, usually in the fall and winter.
Distribution
and Population
Ocelots occupy
a wide variety of habitats, including tropical forest, coastal marshes, thorn
scrub and savanna grassland. They have a large range, spanning from the US down
to South America, with the exception of Chile.
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| http://maps.iucnredlist.org/map.html?id=11509 |
The
ocelot used to range from Arizona to Arkansas but has been reduced
to a small fraction in the most southern part of Texas. Although recently some
ocelots have been seen in the southern most part of Arizona.
The
population has been reduced dramatically in the US, leaving about 100
individuals in Texas. In other places, like Mexico, the ocelot is larger in
population but is still relatively small with about 5.7 ocelots per 100 km2,
roughly 2000 individuals. And in some South American countries the density
reaches about 13.6 ocelots per 100 km2.
Main
Threat and Listing
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Known for its beautiful skin, the ocelot is a main
attraction in the international fur trade. Due to the fur trade the ocelot was
listed as an endangered species on March 28, 1972 by the US Fish and Wildlife
Services. Although commercial hunting for the ocelot has begun to decline, due
to improved legal protections, they are still being illegally hunted. Since the
improvement of laws, the fur trade has now become a smaller threat behind
habitat destruction. Like other species that live in tropical forest,
deforestation has caused the survival of these luscious cats to be more difficult.
Not only are there habitats being destroyed in the forests but in other regions
their habitat is being demolished to create space for agriculture and/or cattle
ranching.
Recovery
Plan
Recently
in August 26, 2010, the US Fish and Wildlife Services has made a recovery plan
to help the ocelot out of the endangered species list. Currently the plan is
still in the beginning stages with most of the action revolving around
monitoring the species population and habitat in Texas. Using camera trapping
surveys and radio tracking they are able to monitor the population size and
also the cats that are arriving from Mexico. Another action that is being
consulted is researching methods for translocating ocelots from areas of
abundance to areas of limited population size, to help revitalize areas where
the ocelot is on the verge of being extirpated.
Personal
Action
Some
ways to help out the ocelot include:
- Visiting the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, one of the last places in the United States where ocelots can be found.
- Support ocelots through the Adopt an Ocelot! Program. Fund are used for education, research, and habitat restoration for the ocelot.
- Or get your very own ocelot license plate. These plates are $30, with $22 dollars going to the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge.
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| https://rts.texasonline.state.tx.us/NASApp/txdotrts/ SpecialPlateOrderServlet?grpid=60&pltid=368 |
Works Cited
"Basic Facts About Ocelots." Defenders of Wildlife.
N.p., 11 Apr. 2012. Web. 30 Nov. 2015. <http://www.defenders.org/ocelot/basic-facts>.
"Binational Ocelot Recovery Project." Binational Ocelot
Recovery Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.cooperativeconservation.org/viewproject.asp?pid=827>.
"The Endangered Ocelot." Ocelots at Laguna Atascosa
National Wildlife Refuge. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2015.
<http://friendsoflagunaatascosanationalwildliferefuge.org/Ocelots>.
"Ocelot Facts, Photos, Videos, Sounds and News." Big Cat
Rescue. N.p., 15 Mar. 2015. Web. 30 Nov. 2015. <http://bigcatrescue.org/ocelot-facts/>.
"Ocelot." FELID TAG. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
<http://felid-tag.org/ocelot/>.
"Ocelot." Fun Facts about the. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov.
2015. <http://www.thejunglestore.com/Ocelots>.
"Ocelot." International Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC)
Canada. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.wildcatconservation.org/wild-cats/south-america/ocelot/>.
"Ocelot (Leopardus Pardalis) Fact Sheet, 2011 ." Population
& Conservation Status. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2015. <http://ielc.libguides.com/content.php?pid=661392&sid=5478093>.
"Ocelot Videos, Photos and Facts." - Leopardus Pardalis.
N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.arkive.org/ocelot/leopardus-pardalis/>.
"Ocelots, Ocelot Pictures, Ocelot Facts - National Geographic."
National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
<http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/ocelot/>.
Plan, First Pardalis) Recovery, and Revision. U.s. Fish And Wildlife
Service, Southwest Region, Albuquerque, New M. (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 30 Nov.
2015.
"Species Profile for Ocelot (Leopardus (=felis) Pardalis)."
N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
<http://ecos.fws.gov/tess_public/profile/speciesProfile;jsessionid=0021914DEE975CAA8D909F71A14B05D1?spcode=A084>.
I think your blog was very informative and I was surprised that it took so long to create a recovery program for the ocelot! I also think the ocelot license plate idea is neat.
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