Mammals
Ocelot
Leopardus pardalis · also called ocelots
Moving silently through dense brush after dark, an ocelot’s striking pattern of rosettes and stripes breaks up its outline almost completely, a beautiful camouflage that once made this wild cat a devastating target for the fur trade.
Overview
The ocelot, Leopardus pardalis, is a strikingly patterned nocturnal wild cat native to dense forest and brushland habitat across an extensive range spanning the southwestern United States through Mexico, Central America, and into South America. Its historical devastation by the fur trade, critically small remnant population in Texas, and skilled climbing and swimming abilities make it one of the more conservation-significant small wild cats found in the Americas.
A pattern that was almost its undoing
The very coat pattern that makes the ocelot so visually striking also made it a prime target for fur hunters throughout the 20th century, a pressure that pushed the species to the brink across large parts of its range, including near-total elimination from the United States.
Status
Least Concern overall but decreasing in parts of its range, surviving in the United States only as a tiny, critically endangered population confined to a small area of southern Texas.
Ocelot: common questions
Why is the ocelot endangered in the United States specifically?
This species survives in the United States only as a tiny, isolated population confined to a small area of southern Texas, a remnant of a once-larger range that was severely reduced by historical fur trapping and continued habitat loss, making the US population critically endangered even though the species remains more widespread across Latin America.
What was the biggest historical threat to the ocelot?
This species was hunted extensively for its strikingly patterned fur throughout the 20th century, a pressure that severely reduced populations across much of its range before international trade restrictions on wild cat fur were put in place to curb the demand driving the hunting.
Is the ocelot active during the day or at night?
This species is almost entirely nocturnal, hunting small mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians under cover of darkness and resting in dense vegetation or tree cavities during daylight hours.
Can the ocelot climb and swim?
Yes, this species is a capable climber and swimmer, able to pursue prey into trees or across water when necessary, despite hunting mainly on the ground within the dense forest and brushland habitat it occupies.