Lioncrusher's Domain > Felidae > Margay
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Range      First Described By      Schinz, 1821  Taxonomy     Kingdom: Animalia   Phylum: Chordata   Class: Mammalia   Order: Carnivora   Family: Felidae   Genus: Leopardus   Species: wiedii  Physical Attributes     Shoulder Height:        ?   Head and Body Length:        18-31 in. (46-79 cm)   Tail Length:        13-20 in. (33-51 cm)   Weight:        9-20 lb. (3-9 kg)  Life Information     Gestation: 76-85 days   Litter size: 1   Age at sexual maturity:       Male: 2 years       Female: 2 years   Life Span: 18 years  Status   CITES: Appendix I IUCN: Insufficient Data  Scientific Name Synonyms     Felis wiedii

Margay (Leopardus wiedii) Range and Habitat The margay lives in the tropical rainforests of Mexico, Central America, and South America east of the Andes mountains. Physical Appearance These cats are similar to ocelots, but much smaller. They have golden ground color, covered in large spots. Their tail, which can be up to 70% of its total body length, is so long because they are arboreal and use their long tail for balance. Like most cat species, they have black ears with large white spots on the back, which is used for signaling mood. They have a short rounded head with very large eyes. Margays in the more mountainous areas of their range have darker black markings. Unlike any other cat, they have the ability to rotate their ankles around 180º and climb down a tree head first, like a squirrel. They are often confused with the two similar species the oncilla and ocelot; the margay is midway between these two species in size. Diet They eat rodents that invade coffee plantations; monkeys, lizards, birds, and even tree frogs make up some part of their diet as well. Reproduction and Social Behavior They are diurnal (daytime lifestyle), and spend much of their time in trees. They are the only cat that can climb down a tree head-first. Mating can occur any time during the year, but only once a year. Gestation period is about 2.5 months, after which a single kitten is born in a nest in a hollow tree. The kitten is grey and has black spots all over. Their eyes open at 2 weeks old. It may venture outside of its nest at five weeks. Weaning begins at 2 months old. Threats Margays are killed for their beautiful fur. Since legal hunting of them stopped, deforestation is now their biggest threat. They are scarce everywhere, without a strong population in its range. They do not breed well in zoos, and have over a 50% infant mortality rate in captivity. Subspecies L. wiedii wiedii -- East and central Brazil to north Argentina L. wiedii amazonica -- Upper Amazon L. wiedii boliviae -- Bolivia and Brazilian Andes L. wiedii cooperi -- Southern Texas, Mexico L. wiedii glaucula -- Sinaloa to north Oaxaca,Mexico L. wiedii nicaraguae -- Central America L. wiedii oaxacensis -- Tamaulipas to Oaxaca, Mexico L. wiedii pirrensis -- Panama to north Peru L. wiedii salvinia -- Chiapas, Guatemala, El Salvador L. wiedii yucatanica -- Mexico   Print References Alderton, David. Wild Cats of the World. Blandford: United Kingdom, 1998. Nowak, Ronald. Walker’s Carnivores of the World. The Johns Hopkins University Press: Baltimore, 2005.   Online References Animal Diversity Web: Leopardus weidii Big Cats Online: Margay IUCN Cat Specialist Group: Margay IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - Leopardus wiedii   Images on the Web Flickr: Margay photo

© Lioncrusher/Rebecca Postanowicz, 1997-2008.

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