All About Ocelots
- Who Am I?
Ocelots are small cats that are found in the wild. They are almost three times bigger than a house cat. They live in the forests and brushy areas in North, Central, and South America. In the United States, they can be found only in the state of Texas.
They are known for their beautiful fur with its spots, lines and circles. They are shy and only come out to hunt and explore at night.
All About MeWhy Spots
The ocelots’ spotted coat helps them to hide in the forest.
Eat and be Eaten
What do I eat? Ocelots are very good hunters. They eat small animals such as rabbits, mice, lizards, fish, birds, crabs, and frogs.
What eats me? Ocelots have to be very careful. They hunted by large snakes, bigger cats, and big eagles.
My View of the World
Ocelots have good hearing, good vision, and a great sense of smell. They are also good climbers, jumpers, and swimmers.
My Home
Ocelots can be found in the forests and bushy areas. They like areas that have plants and trees they can hide in and walk under. They also like to be close to water so they can drink and fish. They don’t like to be out in the open.
Ocelots share their home with many other kinds of animals. They don’t share very well with other ocelots. Males (boys) and females (girls) have their own home area they stay in. Males can go into the home areas of different females. They try to stay out of the home areas of other males.
Seriously? (Fun Facts)
- An ocelots’ tail can be one-third the length of its body.
- Ocelots start teaching their kittens to hunt when they are three months old.
- Ocelots are born with their eyes closed. They open them when they are two weeks old.
Social BehaviorFriends and Family
Adult ocelots mostly travel alone, but they do contact each other by making sounds or leaving smells. They make mewing and yowling sounds and leave scent marks on objects in the area.
Adult female ocelots can often be found walking around with their young.
Ocelot mothers are pregnant for 11-12 weeks. The kittens are born in dens in small caves or hollow trees.
Growing Up
Ocelot babies are called kittens. There can be from one to four kittens in a litter. Mostly, there are just one or two. They nurse for nine months.
The kittens can take care of themselves by the time they are one year old. They may not leave home until they are two.
At the ZooWhere you can find them at the zoo: The America’s Exhibit.
The Zoo has two ocelots: one male, named Opi and one female, named Ola. They live alone except when they come together to mate. Ola has successfully raised three kittens, who are now living at other zoos.
Look closely – Opi can be hard to see! He is in the left area. He likes to sleep on top of the rocks in the back of the exhibit. He has a nick in his left ear.
Ola lives in the area on the right. She likes to sleep next to the rocks in the front. She can often be seen walking around and rubbing on things. Ola is smaller than Opi and has a longer tail.
ConservationStatus
Ocelots are very rare in the United States. There are only about 100 animals left in the State of Texas.
Threats
For a long time, ocelots were hunted for their pretty fur. Hunting ocelots for their fur is against the law now. Ocelots are sometimes killed by farmers who think the ocelots kill their small farm animals. Mostly, ocelots are in trouble because people are living where they used to live. We have made it hard for ocelots travel by putting roads, farms, and fences in their way.
Conservation Projects
Scientists are trying to find ways to make it easier for them to travel. Scientists and educators talk to people that live in the same places as ocelots so they know how to help.
What Our Zoo Does
Our Zoo supports the scientists by contributing money to ocelot research and educating people about ocelots.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) works with zoos that have ocelots to help them find good mates for their animals. To make sure the best matches are found for all the animals, the AZA makes one plan that everyone is supposed to follow. This is the ocelot Species Survival Plan (SSP). Our Zoo works with the ocelot SSP to find homes for our ocelot kittens at other zoos.
- Who Am I?
Ocelots are medium sized cats (about two to three times the size of a house cat), with a distinctive dappled pattern, a white underside, and a ringed tail. They are largely nocturnal and shy, hunting at night. The females are usually smaller than the males but otherwise there are no obvious differences between the sexes. Ocelots live in Central and South America, coming as far north as southern Texas and as far south as northern Argentina.
All About MeWhy Spots?
The ocelots’ distinctive spot pattern helps it hide in the dappled light of the jungle.
Eat and be Eaten
What do I eat? Ocelots are carnivores, eating small animals such as rabbits, mice, lizards, fish and frogs.
What eats me? Ocelots’ predators include large snakes, such as boa constrictors and anacondas, larger cat species, such as pumas and jaguars, and Harpy eagles. Harpy eagles are the larges eagles in the world and can weigh as much as 20 lbs and be 3 ft tall (as tall as a child in kindergarten).
My Neighborhood
Ocelots live in many types of habitats, including tropical forest, savanna, marshes, mangrove. They prefer dense cover and particularly like thorny scrub along streams and rivers. In Central America, they can be found in coastal mangrove forests and swampy savannas. Ocelots share their habitat with many different types of animals, because they have many types of habitat. Some of the other cat species that are found in the same areas include jaguarundi, margay, and jaguar.
Seriously? (Fun Facts)
- An ocelots’ tail can be one-third the length of its body.
- Like most cats, ocelots teach their kittens to hunt, beginning when they are three months old.
- Like most cats, ocelots are born with their eyes closed and don’t open them until they are two weeks old.
Social BehaviorMy Social Network
Ocelots are mostly solitary and are territorial. Ocelots mostly move around alone but they make contact with each other frequently, and may maintain a network of social ties. They communicate by mewing.
My View of the World
Ocelots have good hearing, sight, and a great sense of smell for hunting. They often hunt by following the scent trail of prey. They are excellent climbers, jumpers, and swimmers.
Mating and Dating
Ocelots communicate by yowls during courtship. The male and female mate but they do not remain together after mating. The male has no part in raising the kittens. Ocelot mothers are pregnant for 11-12 weeks. The kittens are born in dens in small caves or hollow trees, which the mothers line with bedding.
Growing Up
Ocelot babies are called kittens. They are born in a litter of 1 to 4 kittens. Newborns are grey and black, and their distinctive dappled pattern appears over the first few months. They nurse for 3-9 months. Kittens are independent at 1 year but may not leave home for another year. Kittens reach their full size at 2 years, and are ready to mate at 18-24 months.
At the ZooWhere you can find them at the zoo: The America’s Exhibit.
The Zoo has two ocelots, one male, named Opi and one female, named Ola. They live alone except when they come together to mate. They have successfully raised three kittens, who are now living at other zoos across the country. Opi is found in the left exhibit, and loves to sleep on the upper rocks in the back of the exhibit. He has a nick in his left ear that Ola gave him. Ola lives in the right exhibit and prefers to sleep next to the rocks in the front of the exhibit. She can often be seen walking her exhibit or rubbing on the mesh between her exhibit and Opi’s. Ola is smaller than Opi and has a particularly long tail.
ConservationStatus
Ocelots are common in some parts of their range and rare in others. They are considered endangered in the U.S. and protected by the Endangered Species Act. Historically, ocelots ranged from Peru to Arkansas but few are found in U.S. now. The estimated US population is around one hundred animals.
Threats
A major threat to ocelots is how much humans like their pretty fur. They were hunted for their fur for many years but widespread hunting stopped in the 1980s. Unfortunately, some ocelots are still killed by poachers who sell their coats illegally. Ocelots are also sometimes killed by farmers who believe the ocelots hunting chickens and other farm birds. Ocelots are somewhat tolerant of disturbed habitat and can be found in wooded patches near human settlements. Habitat loss is also a problem, as are vehicle collisions in populated areas.
Conservation Projects
Scientists are working on ways to help different ocelots groups contact one another. Migratory corridors between Texas and Mexico and physically moving ocelots from group to group have been considered. Scientists are carefully studying the animals to better understand what they need. Camera trapping is a way to study animals that are shy and primarily come out at night. Scientists put out cameras that automatically take pictures when something moves in front of it. This way they can get pictures of the ocelots and see how many live in a habitat. Ocelots can be distinguished by their spot patterns.
What Our Zoo Does
Our Zoo supports the scientists by contributing money to the Ocelot Recovery Team’s effort to establish a migratory corridor between Texas and Mexico. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) works closely w. all accredited zoos housing ocelots to develop a breeding and transfer plan. This Species Survival Plan (SSP) also tracks ocelot mating and births. Our Zoo works with the ocelot SSP to find homes for our ocelot kittens at other zoos.
Seriously? (Fun Facts)
- A picture of an ocelot was found carved on a human bone dated from 1500 A.D. in Ohio! This may tell us that ocelots lived in Ohio at that time but it is more likely that someone brought the bone from the south and traded it to the people in Ohio.
- Ocelots have been found in artwork from the Aztec and Inca civilizations.
- Who Am I?The Ocelot is the largest of the small spotted cats that can be found in parts of North, South, and Central America. They are usually two to three times larger than an average house cat. They have long powerful legs and a tail that is about one-third to one-half of their body length. Ocelots can easily climb trees. In fact, it was once thought they lived exclusively in the trees.All About Me
I am - Species Summary:
Common Name: Ocelot. This name comes from the Mexican Aztec word “tlalocelot” meaning field tiger.Scientific Name: Leopardus pardalis
Family: Felidae – the biological family of the cats
Range: Central and southwestern United States through Central and South America
Habitat: Includes thick brush, second-growth forests, mangrove forest, and rain forest.
Size: 3 feet (90cm) from the nose to the base of the tail; 11-16” (28-40 cm) from the base of the tail to the tip of the tail; body weight of 18-35 lbs (11-16 kg). Large males can reach 40” (102 cm) in length with an 18” (46 cm) tail and stand 18” (46 cm) at the shoulders.
Diet: Mostly small mammals and birds but are opportunistic and will eat what is available.
Ocelots are known for their beautifully patterned coats, which were once highly prized by the fur trade. The color of an ocelot ranges from tan or yellow to reddish gray, depending on where they live. The head and legs are marked with solid black spots, and black stripes on each wide of the nose. The body is marked with black circle patterns called rosettes or elongated spots along the back and sides. The markings of each ocelot are unique and can be used to identify individuals, much like fingerprints. Like most cats the ocelot has prominent white spots on the back of the ears. These markings help camouflage the ocelot keeping them hidden from prey and can help confuse both competitors and enemies.
The Neighborhood
The ocelot’s current range includes South America (except Chile), Central America, and northward into the southernmost part of the United States (Texas). Ocelots were once found throughout most of the state of Texas and parts of Arizona, Arkansas and Louisiana. Today, they can only be found in Texas where there are only about one hundred ocelots left. The ocelots in Texas exist in many discontinuous smaller habitats. The largest contiguous population consists of approximately 40 animals in the Laguna Atascosa Wildlife Refuge. The ocelot is an “endangered” species.Ocelots live in many different habitats: semi-arid scrub, woodlands, rain forests, montane forests, and thick brush-lands especially along waterways. The one thing that all of these habitats have in common is a thick over-head cover. Since they spend a lot of time on the ground, they prefer thick plant cover under which to hide, travel, and hunt. Ocelots avoid open spaces where they can be easily seen.
Texas ocelots live in semi-arid scrubland, which is usually dry with very few trees but extremely dense short bushes and shrubs. Many of these bushes have thorns. So, this habitat is referred to as “thorn scrub.” Ocelots travel in the 18” understory of this habitat. This means that biologists who study ocelots often have to craw on their bellies through this terrain.
My neighborhood
Ocelots share their habitat with many different types of animals, but they don’t share very well with each other. Both male and female ocelots have their own territories. Males will not share their territory with other adult males, and females will not share with other adult females. However, a male will share with females. In fact, the territory of a male ocelot usually overlaps the territories of several females. The sizes of adult male territories vary considerably ranging between 2.5 to 50 km2, depending on where they are found. The smallest territories are recorded in Texas population Territories are more likely to range between 10-20 km2. The territories of males can be four times larger than those of females.
Diet and Hunting
The ocelot is carnivore that hunts mainly at night. During the day, it prefers to rest in dense brush or up in trees.An ocelot’s diet consists mainly of rodents (rats, mice, squirrels) and other small mammals. However, the exact diet is determined by the prey species available in the specific area in which they live. Ocelots will usually not kill anything that weighs more than half of its own weight.
Because ocelots are very secretive, it is rare for anyone to actually see them hunting. To find out what ocelots eat, scientists must study their scat (poop). From the bones and hair left in the scat, scientists can figure out what the animals actually eat and about how often they eat a particular prey. From scat samples, it has been determined that ocelots also eat reptiles (lizards and snakes), birds, fish, and land crabs. It seems that ocelot are not particularly picky eaters. They eat what they can catch, i.e. they are opportunistic hunters.
The ocelot uses two different hunting strategies to catch its daily meal: the “hunting walk” and the “sit-and-wait” strategies. During the hunting walk, the ocelot moves slowly and silently through its territory watching and listening for prey. When using the sit-and-wait strategy they hide and wait until a small animal comes close enough to catch. If no animal comes along, the ocelot will move to a new location.
With both methods, the ocelot takes advantage of the camouflage its beautiful fur provides to stay hidden until the prey comes within range. With a quick pounce, bite, and shake, the ocelot earns its meal.
An average adult ocelot needs about 1-2 lbs (550-840 g) of meat each day.
Ocelots not only hunt, they are hunted. They are hunted and eaten by large snakes, such as boa constrictors and anacondas, and larger cat species, such as pumas and jaguars.
Social BehaviorMy World
Ocelots have excellent vision (especially at night), good hearing, a good sense of smell, and sensitive whiskers on their faces and arms. They are good climbers and jumpers, and will swim if they must.Mating, Dating, & Family
Ocelots generally travel and hunt alone. However, they do communicate with one another both vocally and by leaving scent marks. They can make mewing, yowling, hissing and growling sounds. Yowling is indicative of a female in estrus. To communicate by smell, they spray urine on trees and logs, or dribble urine on their feet and then scratch the ground and trees along trails they commonly use. This is referred to as scent marking. Different ocelots will sometimes use common “latrines”, defecating in the same spot. Ocelots can learn a lot about each other just by sniffing the smells left by others. They can determine if there is another male or female in the area, if that animal is familiar, and even if a female in the area is in estrus.An ocelot can produce young any time of the year; however, in Texas more kittens are born in the fall than at other times of the year
Ocelot females have longer gestations, smaller litter sizes, and longer inter-birth intervals than those reported for other small cat species. The gestation period is 11-12 weeks (79-81 days). Litter size is usually one or two and very rarely three or four kittens. Females usually have one litter every two years. The kittens are born in dens in small caves, hollow trees, or even in the middle of a mound of bunch grass, which the mothers line with bedding.
Although considered to be solitary animals, adult female ocelots often travel with their own young. They are also tolerant of their maturing offspring staying in their territory until they leave to establish their own.
Growing Up
Ocelot kittens are defenseless at birth. They first open their eyes at 14 days of age. They grow very rapidly and begin to accompany their mother on hunts at about 12 weeks of age. The kittens can take care of themselves by the time they are one year old, but may not leave home for another year. They reach their full size by the time they are two, and are able to mate at 18-24 months. A female can have her first kittens as early at 18-22 months of age. Male ocelots have bred successfully at two-and–a-half years of age.Seriously? (Fun Facts)
- Ocelots teach their kittens to hunt, beginning when they are three months old.
- Like most cats, ocelots are born with their eyes closed and don’t open them until they are two weeks old.
At the ZooWhere you can find them at the zoo: The America’s Exhibit.The Zoo has two ocelots: one male, named Opi and one female, named Ola. They live alone except when they come together to mate. Ola has successfully raised three kittens, who are now living at other zoos.Look carefully! Opi is in the left habitat. He likes to sleep on the upper rocks in the back of the exhibit and can be hard to see. He has a nick in his left ear that Ola gave him.Ola lives in the right habitat and likes to sleep next to the rocks in the front. She can often be seen walking around and rubbing objects in the habitat. Ola is smaller than Opi and has a longer tail.
ConservationStatus
Ocelots are common in some parts of their range and rare in others. In the United States they are endangered. The ocelot population in Texas is at high risk for extinction. Only about 100 are thought to be left. The Texas ocelot is listed as endangered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The ocelot is also given the highest the protection rating by the Convention for International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES).These organizations monitor and protect the ocelot and can assist in conservation measures. Countries that are part of CITES cannot sell or trade endangered animals for commercial purposes. For the ocelot, this means it cannot be sold to the pet trade or to the fur industry. Trade is only allowed for special purposes, such as science or conservation.
Even though there are laws to help protect the ocelot, they are difficult to enforce and smuggling animals across international borders still occurs.
Threats
In the past, the main threat to the ocelot was hunting. Fur trappers hunted ocelots for their beautiful pelts. In 1983, as many as 60,000 pelts were traded. Ocelots were also captured and sold as exotic pets. Illicit trading has been greatly reduced and is no longer a primary threat.Today, loss of habitat is the primary threat to ocelots. This is especially true in the United States. Nearly all of the habitat ocelots prefer has been developed for human use. Only small isolated pockets of good habitat remain, and ocelots have to compete for what little space is available. Often, just a few ocelots live in an isolated pocket of good habitat but they cannot get to ocelots living in other isolated pockets. The result of this isolation is decreased genetic diversity. Roads going through ocelot habitat are another problem. A high percentage of ocelot deaths in the U.S. are caused by automobiles. Human pets such as domestic cats also pose a threat because they can transmit deadly diseases to wildlife.
The net result of a history of hunting pressure, loss and fragmentation of habitat, conflicts with man, and rapidly decreasing genetic diversity when coupled with their slow rate of reproduction is an animal on the brink of extinction.
Conservation Projects
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, zoos, universities, and other nongovernmental organizations have all been working cooperatively to help. More and more private landowners are also joining the effort.All are trying to protect and restore ocelot habitat. Special corridors that connect small pockets of good habitat are being developed. To prevent ocelots from getting hit by cars, conservationists are trying to build culverts under highways.
One extreme strategy under consideration is to trap and bring ocelots from the healthier populations further south and introduce them to the population remaining in Texas.
Scientists and educators talk to people that live in the same places as ocelots so they know how to help.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) tracks ocelots in zoos through a Species Survival Plan (SSP). All AZA-accredited zoos with ocelots participate in the SSP. The SSP recommends specific ocelot moves between zoos to pair genetically compatible animals for breeding, with the goal of keeping the zoo ocelot population as genetically diverse as possible.
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