Assuming that you have bought a new Ocelot or you are an animal researcher, you want to know Ocelot. After all, learning about animals interests wildlife enthusiasts and researchers.
So, what are some Ocelot facts? Some interesting facts are, Ocelots are foodie, knows to swim, hunted for fur, have incredible communication skills, have a short lifespan, and are named as queens.
In this article, I will discuss the Ocelot facts including their diet, habitat, behavior, and much inside information. So, please read this article fully to learn everything about Ocelots.
Ocelot Scientific Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Carnivora |
| Family | Felidae |
| Genus | Leopardus |
| Species | L. pardalis |
Ocelot Locations
- South America
- Central America
- Mexico
- Trinidad
- United States (Southern Texas)
Ocelot Facts
Diet: Carnivore
The 7 Interesting Ocelot Facts
Ocelot is a medium-sized wild cat that weighs up to 14 kg. Many people have a fantasy to pet wildcats. Meanwhile, others are curious about these wildcats and want to learn more about them.
So, here I brought up 7 interesting Ocelot facts for you. Please have a look through the below points:
1. Ocelots Have a Huge Appetite
Ocelots can eat around 800g every day. This amount is only 10% less than their whole body weight. Their diet includes animals such as Lizards, Snakes, and Fish. But baby ocelots eat less than adult ocelots as they are young and do not have a large appetite.
2. Ocelots Know Swimming
Ocelots are great swimmers. They do not fear water. Moreover, they can even hunt when swimming. They love fish, so when they go swimming in the river, they may swim for hunting fish. As they also live in the Mangrove forests, they can frequently go in the river and swim as they like it a lot.
3. Ocelots Are Hunted for Fur
For many days, Ocelots have been hunted for their fur. Their fur is quite famous for making clothes. People buy these fur-made clothes and love to wear them around.
But apparently, Ocelots hunting and fur trade has been banned to protect these wildcats and do conservation in nature. But still, now, some people sell these fur-made clothes illegally.
4. Ocelots Have Communication Skills
Ocelots have tremendous vocal cords. They can communicate with other Ocelots with their amazing vocal line. They have good vision and hearing. Ocelots know to growl and also meows. The male Ocelots use growling to impress the female Ocelots. Moreover, they communicate through sound to convey their message to the other animals.
5. Ocelots Have a Short Lifespan
Ocelots (leopardus pardalis) do not live long in wildlife. It is due to the lack of care in the wild. They can live around 12 years in the wild. But they can live more years if they are properly cared for.
It can happen when they are in captivity. They are cared for with proper diet and also have security in captivity. They can live around 21 years in a good environment.
6. Ocelots Are Omnivorous
As they are omnivores, they hunt terrestrial animals at night. These carnivore cat’s diet consists of rodents, insects, fish, etc. They have got good eyesight which they use to prey at night.
Diet Of Ocelots
The diet of Ocelots consists of multiple nutritious foods. They can eat small to big animals. They have a huge appetite and need a specialized diet. Have a look below to know the details-
- Ocelot’s diet includes 64%-65% small rodents
- They eat small birds, rabbit
- They love to eat reptile and leopard, jaguar, and crab
- They eat fishes
- Ocelot also eat monkeys
Habitat Of Ocelots
Ocelots mostly can be found in South and Central America, Northern Argentina, and Southern Texas. They make their habitats in tropical forests, Savannas, Grasslands, thorn scrubs, coastal marshes, and Mangrove forests.
Some other countries where Ocelots can be found are Costa Rica, Brazil, Columbia, Southwestern United States, and Mexico.
The main reason for choosing these habitats are camouflage, water sources, and food sources. In the dense forests, they can hide themselves from predators. Also, they can have access to water in forests.
Partially, these habitats are full of their prey. They can prey on reptiles, rodents, and fish there. So, these habitats can give them food too.
That’s why they have chosen such habitats. There are around 1.5m Ocelot population around the world. But due to the hunting, they are prone to habitat loss.
Behavior of Ocelots
The Ocelots are dark brown wild feline species. Sometimes, they are aggressive. They can also attack other animals and humans. However, I have added some of Ocelot’s behavior to the below list:
- Ocelot’s mate two months before giving birth. Ocelot’s mating season varies geographically
- Oceots stay active during the night
- Ocelots are carnivores
- Ocelots are territorial. But they stop being territorial except during mating season
- Ocelots stay in hollow tree for shelter
- Ocelots use a range of sound and vibrations to communicate
- Ocelots gestation period lasts around two months
- Ocelot prefer to live in forests
- Ocelot have the same markings including rosette
- Ocelots harm other animal’s baby kitten. Ocelots are also sometimes hostile to people
Moche people used to worship Ocelots. The female ocelots are known as queens. However, IUCN has classified as least concern to this spotted cat. They have banned the pet trade as these pets are kept as a pet.
Size
Ocelots are small cats that are around 4 feet in length(29 to 39 inches). The Ocelots weigh 14.5 to 25 pounds. When they are 18 to 22 months old, they can be taken as fully grown adults.
Conclusion
Ocelots are pretty interesting wildcats. These wildcats deserve to be free instead of being in a cage. If you are an animal enthusiast, you should stay aware of the illegal trading of Ocelots.
Some interesting facts about Ocelots are they have huge appetites, have short lifespans, and have good communication skills.
The Ocelots eat rodents, insects, fishes, reptiles, etc. They can be found in Texas and Argentina. They have a shorter lifespan of 12 years. These were all about the Ocelot facts. I hope this article can give you the complete details of Ocelot facts.
FAQs
Does Ocelots Have Night Vision?
Yes. Ocelots have excellent night vision. These cat species prey at night. So, their incredible night vision helps them to detect their prey.
Are Ocelots Endangered?
Yes. Ocelots are endangered. They can feel unsafe even when they are safe and sound around humans. And if they feel threatened by anyone, they will attack that person.
Are Ocelots Nocturnal?
Yes. Ocelots are nocturnal. They stay up at night and go hunting. In the daytime, they climb trees to rest.
Hugues Beaufrere is the Exoticpetia’s senior writer and reptile expert. He has been fascinated by reptiles and monkeys since he was a kid and had years of experience in herpetology and primatology. He has cared for various kinds of Monkeys, Lizards and Reptiles and loves to share his knowledge and passion with others.
Dr. Patrick Simon, DVM, is a qualified veterinarian specializing in exotic animals, especially reptiles. He has a master’s degree in zoology and a doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of California, Davis. He has worked with various reptile owners and rescues for over ten years, providing expert care and advice. He is passionate about educating people about the fascinating world of reptiles and their unique needs.