Let's have a wild cat species now.
Scientific classification:-
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Carnivora
Family:
Felidae
Genus:
Leopardus
Species:
L. wiedii
The Margay (
Leopardus wiedii) is a small cat native to Central & South America.
In his first description, Schinz named the Margay,
Felis wiedii, in honour of Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied who collected specimens in Brazil.
The Margay is very similar to the larger Ocelot in appearance, although the head is a little shorter, the eyes larger & the tail & legs longer. Its look is also similar to the Oncilla. It weighs from 2.6 to 4 kgs (5.7 to 8.8 lbs), with a body length of 48 to 79 cms (19 to 31 in) & a tail length of 33 to 51 cms (13 to 20 in). The fur is brown and marked with numerous rows of dark brown or black rosettes & longitudinal streaks. The undersides are paler, ranging from buff to white & the tail has numerous dark bands & a black tip. The backs of the ears are black, with circular white markings in the centre.
While Margays are nocturnal, in some areas they have also been observed to hunt during the day. Although they prefer to spend most of their life in the trees, they also travel across the ground, especially when moving between hunting areas. During the day, they rest in relatively inaccessible branches or clumps of lianas.
The Margay is a much more skillful climber than its relative the Ocelot & it is sometimes called the "tree Ocelot" because of this ability. It may spend its entire life in the trees, leaping after & chasing birds & monkeys through the treetops. It is one of only two cat species with the ankle flexibility necessary to climb head-first down trees (the other being the clouded leopard, although the poorly studied marbled cat may also have this ability). Its ankles can turn up to 180 degrees & it can grasp branches equally well with its fore & hind paws. Its able to jump up to 12 feet (3.7 m) horizontally. The Margay has been observed to hang from branches with only one foot.
Like most cats, they are solitary. They are sparsely distributed even within their natural environment, occupying relatively large home ranges of 11 to 16 square kilometres (4.2 to 6.2 sq mi). Their vocalizations all appear to be short range & they do not call to each other over long distances.
It hunts small mammals, including monkeys & birds, eggs, lizards & tree frogs. It also eats grass and other vegetation, most likely to help digestion. Margays have recently been discovered to hunt by mimicking the vocalization of a prey species, pied Tamarin (
Saguinus bicolor), which has been compared by scientists to tool-use by monkeys. A 2006 report about a Margay chasing squirrels in its natural environment confirmed that the Margay is able to hunt its prey entirely in trees. However, Margays do sometimes hunt on the ground & have been reported to eat terrestrial prey, such as cane rats & guinea pigs.
The gestation period of Magays lasts about 80 days & generally results in the birth of a single kitten (very rarely, there are two) usually between March & June. Kittens weigh 85 to 170 grams (3.0 to 6.0 oz) at birth. This is relatively large for a small cat & is probably related to the long gestation period. The kittens open their eyes at around two weeks of age & begin to take solid food at seven to eight weeks.
Margays are found from southern Mexico, through Central America & in northern South America east of the Andes. The southern edge of its range reaches Uruguay & northern Argentina. They are found almost exclusively in areas of dense forest, ranging from tropical evergreen forest to tropical dry forest & high cloud forest. Margays live foremost in primary evergreen & deciduous forests, but have sometimes also been observed in coffee & cocoa plantations.
These are the currently recognized subspecies of the Margay:-
Leopardus wiedii wiedii - Found in Eastern and central Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, northern Argentina
Leopardus wiedii amazonicus - Found in western Brazil, inner parts of Peru, Colombia and Venezuela
Leopardus wiedii boliviae (also known as the "ocelittle") - Found in Bolivia
Leopardus wiedii cooperi - Found in northern Mexico
Leopardus wiedii glauculus - Found in central Mexico
Leopardus wiedii nicaraguae - Found in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica
Leopardus wiedii oaxacensis - Found in southern Mexico
Leopardus wiedii pirrensis - Found in Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Leopardus wiedii salvinius - Found in Chiapas, Guatemala, El Salvador
Leopardus wiedii yucatanicus - Found in Yucat?n
Until the 1990s Margays were hunted illegally for the wildlife trade, which resulted in a large population decrease. It is listed as "Near Threatened" by the IUCN since 2008 because remaining populations are thought to be declining due to loss of habitat following conversion of forests.
Pika Pika :chu: