View source for Ocelot

{{Short description|Small wild cat}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2019}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Ocelot
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |title=''Leopardus pardalis'' |name-list-style=amp |author1=Paviolo, A. |author2=Crawshaw, P. |author3=Caso, A. |author4=de Oliveira, T. |author5=Lopez-Gonzalez, C.A. |author6=Kelly, M. |author7=De Angelo, C. |author8=Payan, E. |year=2015 |errata=2016 |article-number=e.T11509A97212355 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T11509A50653476.en |access-date= 17 January 2022}}</ref>
| status2 = CITES_A1
| status2_system = CITES
| status2_ref = <ref name=iucn/>
| image = 016 Ocelot in Encontro das Águas State Park Photo by Giles Laurent.jpg
| image_caption = An ocelot in a [[Mato Grosso]] in [[Brazil]]
| genus = Leopardus
| species = pardalis
| authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]])
| subdivision_ranks = Subspecies
| subdivision = * ''L. p. mitis'' {{small|([[Frédéric Cuvier|Cuvier]], 1820)}}
* ''L. p. pardalis'' {{small|(Linnaeus, 1758)}}
| synonyms_ref = <ref name=mammal />
| synonyms = {{collapsible list
|''Felis aequatorialis'' {{small|([[Edgar Alexander Mearns|Mearns]], 1903)}}
|''F. albescens'' {{small|([[Jacques Pucheran|Pucheran]], 1855)}}
|''F. armillatus'' {{small|([[Frédéric Cuvier|Cuvier]], 1820)}}
|''F. brasiliensis'' {{small|(Schinz, 1844)}}
|''F. buffoni'' {{small|(Brass, 1911)}}
|''F. canescens'' {{small|(Swainson, 1838)}}
|''F. chati'' {{small|([[John Edward Gray|Gray]], 1827)}}
|''F. chibi-gouazou'' {{small|[[John Edward Gray|Gray]], 1827)}}
|''F. grifithii'' {{small|([[Johann Baptist Fischer|J. B. Fischer]], 1829)}}
|''F. hamiltonii'' {{small|([[Johann Baptist Fischer|J. B. Fischer]], 1829)}}
|''F. limitis'' {{small|([[Edgar Alexander Mearns|Mearns]], 1902)}}
|''F. ludoviciana'' {{small|(Brass, 1911)}}
|''F. maracaya'' {{small|(Wagner, 1841)}}
|''F. maripensis'' {{small|([[Joel Asaph Allen|Allen]], 1904)}}
|''F. mearnsi'' {{small|(Allen, 1904}}
|''F. melanura'' {{small|([[Robert Ball (naturalist)|Ball]], 1844)}}
|''F. mexicana'' {{small|([[Robert Kerr (writer)|Kerr]], 1792)}}
|''F. mitis'' {{small|([[Frédéric Cuvier|Cuvier]], 1820)}}
|''F. ocelot'' {{small|(Link, 1795)}}
|''F. pardalis'' {{small|([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758)}}
|''F. pseudopardalis'' {{small|([[Pierre Boitard|Boitard]], 1842)}}
|''F. sanctaemartae'' {{small|(Allen, 1904)}}
|''F. smithii'' {{small|(Swainson, 1838)}}
|''Leopardus griseus'' {{small|[[John Edward Gray|Gray]], 1842}}
|''L. pictus'' {{small|[[John Edward Gray|Gray]], 1842}}
}}
| range_map = Ocelot distribution.jpg
| range_map_caption = Distribution of the ocelot (2016)<ref name=iucn />
}}

The '''ocelot''' ('''''Leopardus pardalis''''') is a medium-sized spotted [[Felidae|wild cat]] that reaches {{cvt|40|–|50|cm}} at the shoulders and weighs between {{cvt|7|and|15.5|kg}} on average. It is native to the [[southwestern United States]], [[Mexico]], [[Central America|Central]] and [[South America]], and the [[Caribbean]] islands of [[Trinidad]] and [[Margarita Island|Margarita]]. [[Carl Linnaeus]] [[scientific description|scientifically described]] it in 1758. Two [[subspecies]] are recognized.

The ocelot is efficient at climbing, leaping and swimming. It prefers areas close to water sources with dense vegetation cover and high prey availability. It preys on small terrestrial mammals, such as [[armadillo]]es, [[opossum]]s, and [[lagomorph]]s. It is typically active during [[twilight]] and at night and tends to be solitary and [[Territory (animal)|territorial]]. Both sexes become [[sexual maturity|sexually mature]] at around two years of age and can breed throughout the year; peak mating season varies geographically. After a [[gestation]] period of two to three months, the female gives birth to a [[Litter (zoology)|litter]] of one to three kittens. They stay with their mother for up to two years, after which they leave to establish their own [[home range]]s.

The ocelot is listed as [[Least Concern]] on the [[IUCN Red List]] and is threatened by [[habitat destruction]], [[hunting]], and [[traffic]] accidents. While its range is very large, various populations are decreasing in many parts of its range. The association of the ocelot with humans dates back to the [[Aztec Civilisation|Aztec]] and [[Incan civilization|Incan]] civilizations; it has occasionally been kept as a [[pet]].

== Etymology ==
The name "ocelot" comes from the [[Nahuatl]] word {{lang|nci|ōcēlōtl}} ({{IPA|nah|oːˈseːloːt͡ɬ|pron}}), which generally refers to the [[jaguar]], rather than the ocelot.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |year=2004 |title =ocelot, ''n.'' |encyclopedia=Oxford English Dictionary }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=F. |last=Karttunen |year=1983 |author-link=Frances Karttunen |title=An Analytical Dictionary of Nahuatl |location=Austin, Texas |publisher=University of Texas Press |page=176}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=J. |last=Lockhart |author-link=James Lockhart (historian) |year=2001 |title=Nahuatl as Written: Lessons in Older Written Nahuatl, with Copious Examples and Texts |location=Stanford, California |publisher=Stanford University Press |page=228}}</ref> Another possible origin for the name is the Latin {{lang|la|ocellatus}} ("having little eyes" or "marked with eye-like spots"), in reference to the cat's spotted coat.<ref name="Sunquist">{{cite book |last1=Sunquist |first1=M. |last2=Sunquist |first2=F. |title=Wild Cats of the World |year=2002 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago, US |isbn=978-0-226-77999-7 |pages=120–129 |chapter=Ocelot ''Leopardus pardalis'' (Linnaeus, 1758) |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IF8nDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA120}}</ref>

Other vernacular names for the ocelot include {{lang|es-VE|cunaguaro}} (Venezuela), {{lang|es-AR|gato onza}} (Argentina), {{lang|es-PA|gato tigre}} (Panama), {{lang|und|heitigrikati}} (Suriname), {{lang|pt-BR|jaguatirica}}, {{lang|pt-BR|maracaja}} (Brazil), {{lang|es-CR|manigordo}} (Costa Rica, Panama and Venezuela), {{lang|und|mathuntori}}, {{lang|und|ocelote}}, {{lang|und|onsa}}, {{lang|es-BZ|pumillo}}, {{lang|en-BZ|tiger cat}} (Belize), {{lang|es-BO|tigrecillo}} (Bolivia) and {{lang|es-CO|tigrillo}} (Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Peru).<ref name=mammal /><ref name="ojasti">{{cite book |last1=Ojasti |first1=J. |title=Wildlife Utilization in Latin America: Current Situation and Prospects for Sustainable Management |date=1996 |publisher=[[Food and Agriculture Organization]] |location=Rome |isbn=978-92-5-103316-6 |pages=82–84}}</ref>

== Taxonomy ==
''Felis pardalis'' was the [[scientific name]] proposed for the ocelot by [[Carl Linnaeus]] in 1758.<ref name="linnaeus">{{cite book |last1=Linnaeus |first1=C. |year=1758 |title=Caroli Linnæi Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis |location=Holmiae |publisher=Laurentius Salvius |page=42 |chapter=''Felis pardalis'' |volume=Tomus I |edition=10th |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/mobot31753000798865#page/41/mode/2up}}</ref> The genus ''[[Leopardus]]'' was proposed by [[John Edward Gray]] in 1842 for several spotted cat skins in the collection of the [[Natural History Museum, London]].<ref name=Gray1842>{{cite journal |last1=Gray |first1= J. E.  |year=1842 |title=Descriptions of some new genera and fifty unrecorded species of Mammalia |journal=[[Annals and Magazine of Natural History]] |volume=10 |issue=65 |pages=255–267 |url=https://archive.org/details/annalsmagazineof10lond/page/260 |doi=10.1080/03745484209445232}}</ref><ref name=Allen1919>{{cite journal |last1=Allen |first1=J. A. |title=Notes on the synonymy and nomenclature of the smaller spotted cats of tropical America |journal=Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History |date=1919 |volume=41 |issue=7 |page=345 |url=http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/items/b62dcff5-66bd-49dd-8908-7c8df569b642}}</ref>

Several ocelot [[zoological specimen|specimens]] were described in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including:<ref name="mammal">{{cite journal |last1=Murray |first1=J. L. |last2=Gardner |first2=G. L. |name-list-style=amp |title=''Leopardus pardalis'' |journal=[[Mammalian Species]] |year=1997 |issue=548 |pages=1–10 |doi=10.2307/3504082 |jstor=3504082 |url=https://academic.oup.com/mspecies/article-pdf/doi/10.2307/3504082/8071434/548-1.pdf|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=msw3>{{MSW3 Wozencraft |page=539 |id=14000103 |heading=Species ''Leopardus pardalis''}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* ''Felis mitis'' by [[Frédéric Cuvier]] in 1824 was a specimen from [[Rio de Janeiro]], Brazil.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cuvier |first1=F. G. |year=1824 |title=Histoire Naturelle des Mammifères: Avec des Figures Originales, Coloriées, Dessinées d'aprèsdes Animaux Vivans |trans-title=Natural History of Mammals: With Original Figures, Colored, Drawn after Living Animals |volume=1 |location=Paris |publisher=Chez A. Belin |pages=Pl. 54; 1–3 |chapter=Le chati femelle [The female cat] |language=fr |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/HistoirenaturelIGeof/page/n273 |editor1-last=Geoffroy St.-Hilaire |editor1-first=E. |editor2-last=Cuvier |editor2-first=F. G.}}</ref>
* ''F. chibi-gouazou'' by [[Edward Griffith (zoologist)|Edward Griffith]] in 1827 was based on earlier descriptions and illustrations.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Griffith |first1=E. |year=1827 |title=The Animal Kingdom arranged in Conformity with its Organization | volume = 5 |location=London |publisher=Geo. B. Whittaker |chapter=Middle-sized cats, with tail rather long, and generally with spots and stripes |pages=167–173 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/animalkingdomarr05cuvi/page/167}}</ref>
* ''Leopardus griseus'' by John Edward Gray in 1842 was a spotted cat skin from Central America.<ref name=Gray1842 />
* ''F. pseudopardalis'' by [[Pierre Boitard]] in 1845 was an ocelot kept in the [[Jardin des plantes]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Boitard |first1=P. |year=1845 |title=Le Jardin des Plantes. Description et Moeurs des Mammifères de la Ménagerie et du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle |location=Paris |language = fr |trans-title = Garden Plants. Description and Customs of the Mammals of the Menagerie and the Natural History Museum |publisher=J.-J. Dubochet |chapter=Les chats (The cats) |pages=234–269 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/lejardindesp00boit/page/262}}</ref>
* ''F. melanura'' by [[Robert Ball (naturalist)|Robert Ball]] in 1844 was a specimen from [[British Guiana]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ball |first1=R. |year=1844 |title=Description of the ''Felis melanura'' |journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London |volume=12 |pages=128–129 |url=https://archive.org/details/lietuvostsrmoksl44liet/page/n139}}</ref>
* ''F. albescens'' by [[Jacques Pucheran]] in 1855 was a specimen from [[Brownsville, Texas]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pucheran |first1=J. |year=1855 |chapter=Description du chat bai et du chat albescent; et remarques sur les caractères et sur la distribution géographique de plusieurs autre chats (Description of bay cat and albescent cat; and remarks on the characters and the geographic distribution of several other cats) |pages=137–155 |language=fr |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/voyageautourdumo1846dupe/page/136 |title=Voyage autour du Monde sur la Frégate la Vénus commandée par Abel du Petit-Thouars. Zoologie. Mammifères |trans-title=Travel around the World on the Frigate Venus commanded by Abel du Petit-Thouars. Zoology. Mammals |editor1-last=Geoffroy St.-Hilaire |editor1-first=I. |publisher=G & J. Baudry |location=Paris}}</ref>
* ''F. aequatorialis'' by [[Edgar Alexander Mearns]] in 1903 was a skin of an adult female ocelot from [[Talamanca (canton)|Talamanca canton]] in Costa Rica.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mearns |first1=A. |year=1903 |title=The ocelot cats |journal=Proceedings of the United States National Museum |volume=25 |issue=1286 |pages=237–249 |url=https://archive.org/details/proceedingsofuni251903unit/page/246 |doi=10.5479/si.00963801.1286.237}}</ref>
* ''F. maripensis'' and ''F. sanctaemartae'' by [[Joel Asaph Allen]] in 1904 were skins of two adult female ocelots from [[Maripa, Venezuela]] and Santa Marta district in Colombia, respectively.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Allen |first1=J. A. |year=1904 |title=New mammals from Venezuela and Colombia |journal=Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History |volume=20 |issue=28 |pages=327–335 |url=http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/items/fe5e7d2b-068e-4487-bdcb-c9873ccb61b4}}</ref>
* ''F. pardalis pusaea'' by [[Oldfield Thomas]] in 1914 was an ocelot skin and skull from [[Guayas Province]] in coastal Ecuador.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Thomas |first1=O. |year=1914 |title=On various South-American mammals |journal=Annals and Magazine of Natural History; Zoology, Botany, and Geology |volume=13 |issue=75 |series=8th |pages=345–363 |url=https://archive.org/details/annalsmagazineof8131914lond/page/346 |doi=10.1080/00222931408693492}}</ref>
* ''F. pardalis nelsoni'' and ''F. p. sonoriensis'' by [[Edward Alphonso Goldman]] in 1925 as subspecies of ''F. pardalis'', based on specimens from [[Manzanillo, Colima|Manzanillo]] and the [[Mayo River (Mexico)|Mayo River]] region respectively in Mexico.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Goldman |first1=E. A. |year=1925 |title=Two new ocelots from Mexico |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=122–124  |doi=10.2307/1373387 |jstor=1373387}}</ref>
* ''L. pardalis steinbachi'' by [[Reginald Innes Pocock]] in 1941 was a specimen from [[Buena Vista, Ichilo]] in Bolivia.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Pocock |first1=R. I. |year=1941 |title=Some new geographical races of ''Leopardus'', commonly known as ocelots and margays |journal=Annals and Magazine of Natural History; Zoology, Botany, and Geology |series=11th |volume=8 |issue=45 |pages=234–239 |doi=10.1080/03745481.1941.9727966}}</ref>
{{div col end}}

=== Subspecies ===
In 1919, Allen reviewed the specimens described until 1914, placed them into the genus ''Leopardus'' and recognized nine [[subspecies]] as [[Valid name (zoology)|valid]] [[Taxon|taxa]] based on the colors and spot patterns of skins.<ref name=Allen1919 /> In 1941, Pocock reviewed dozens of ocelot skins in the collection of the Natural History Museum and regrouped them to nine different subspecies, also based on their colors and spots.<ref>{{cite book |author=Pocock, R. I. |year=1941 |chapter=The Races of the Ocelot and the Margay |pages=319–369 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/papersonmammalog271fiel/page/320 |title=Papers on mammalogy published in honor of Wilfred Hudson Osgood |editor=Field, S. |publisher=Field Museum of Natural History |volume=27 |location=Chicago}}</ref> Later authors recognized 10 subspecies as valid.<ref>{{cite journal  |last1=Goldman |first1=E. A. |year=1943 |title=The races of the Ocelot and Margay in Middle America |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |volume=24 |issue=3 |pages=372–385 |jstor=1374838 |url=http://bio-nica.info/Biblioteca/Goldman1943.pdf|doi=10.2307/1374838 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Cabrera, A. |author-link=Ángel Cabrera (naturalist) |year=1957 |title=Catálogo de los mamíferos de América del Sur |series=Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia e Instituto Nacional de Investigacion de las Ciencias Naturales |volume=Ciencias Zoologicas 4 |publisher=Casa Editora "Coni" |location=Buenos Aires}}</ref><ref name=msw3 />

In 1998, results of a [[mtDNA control region]] analysis of ocelot samples indicated that four major ocelot groups exist, one each in Central America, northwestern South America, northeastern South America and southern South America south of the [[Amazon River]].<ref name="eizirik">{{cite journal |last1=Eizirik |first1=E. |last2=Bonatto |first2=S. L. |last3=Johnson |first3=W. E. |last4=Crawshaw Jr. |first4=P. G. |last5=Vié |first5=J. C. |last6=Brousset |first6=D. M. |last7=O'Brien |first7=S. J. |last8=Salzano |first8=F. M. |name-list-style=amp |title=Phylogeographic patterns and evolution of the mitochondrial DNA control region in two neotropical cats (Mammalia, Felidae) |journal=Journal of Molecular Evolution |date=1998 |volume=47 |issue=5 |pages=613–624 |doi=10.1007/PL00006418 |pmid=9797412 |bibcode=1998JMolE..47..613E|s2cid=19865180 }}</ref> A 2010 study of morphological features noted significant differences in the size and color of the Central and South American populations, suggesting they could be separate species.<ref>{{cite thesis |last1=Nascimento |first1=F. O. do |title=Revisão taxonômica gênero do ''Leopardus'' Gray, 1842 |trans-title=Taxonomic revision of genus ''Leopardus'' Gray 1842 |type=PhD Thesis |date=2010 |doi=10.11606/T.41.2010.tde-09122010-104050 |publisher=University of Sao Paulo |location=Sao Paulo |language=pt |url=https://teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/41/41133/tde-09122010-104050/publico/FO_Nascimento.pdf|doi-access=free }}</ref> In 2013, a study of [[Craniometry|craniometric]] variation and [[microsatellite]] diversity in ocelots throughout the range recognized three subspecies: ''L. p. albescens'' from the Texas–Mexico border, ''L. p. pardis'' from Central America and ''L. p. pseudopardalis'' from South America, though ''L. p. mitis'' may comprise the ocelot population in the southern part of South America.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ruiz-García |first1=M. |last2=Corrales |first2=C. |last3=Pineda-Castro |first3=M. |name-list-style=amp |editor1-last=Ruiz-García |editor1-first=M. |editor2-last=Shostell |editor2-first=J. M. |title=Molecular Population Genetics, Evolutionary Biology, and Biological Conservation of Neotropical Carnivores |date=2013 |publisher=Nova Publishers |location=New York |isbn=978-1-62417-071-3 |pages=289–332 |chapter=Craniometric and microsatellite genetic differentiation among putative ocelot subspecies (''Leopardus pardalis'') |chapter-url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267843436}}</ref>

In 2017, the Cat Classification Task Force of the [[IUCN]] Cat Specialist Group noted that up to four subspecies can be identified, but recognized only two as valid taxa. These two taxa differ in [[Morphology (biology)|morphological]] features and are geographically separated by the [[Andes]]:<ref name=catsg>{{cite journal |author1=Kitchener, A. C. |author2=Breitenmoser-Würsten, C. |author3=Eizirik, E. |author4=Gentry, A. |author5=Werdelin, L. |author6=Wilting, A. |author7=Yamaguchi, N. |author8=Abramov, A. V. |author9=Christiansen, P. |author10=Driscoll, C. |author11=Duckworth, J. W. |author12=Johnson, W. |author13=Luo, S.-J. |author14=Meijaard, E. |author15=O'Donoghue, P. |author16=Sanderson, J. |author17=Seymour, K. |author18=Bruford, M. |author19=Groves, C. |author20=Hoffmann, M. |author21=Nowell, K. |author22=Timmons, Z. |author23=Tobe, S. |name-list-style=amp |year=2017 |title=A revised taxonomy of the Felidae: The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group |journal=Cat News |issue=Special Issue 11 |pages=47–48 |url=https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/32616/A_revised_Felidae_Taxonomy_CatNews.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y}}</ref>
* ''L. p. pardalis'' has a greyish fur. Its range extends from [[Texas]] and [[Arizona]] to [[Costa Rica]].
* ''L. p. mitis'' has a more yellowish fur and is larger than ''pardalis''. It occurs in South America as far south as northern [[Argentina]].

=== Phylogeny ===
Results of a [[phylogenetic]] study indicate that the ''Leopardus'' lineage [[Genetic divergence|genetically diverged]] from the Felidae around 8 million years ago ([[Mya (unit)|mya]]). The ocelot is estimated to have diverged from the [[margay]] (''Leopardus wieldii'') between 2.41 and 1.01 mya. The relationships of the ocelot within the Felidae is considered as follows:<ref name=Johnson2006>{{cite journal |last1= Johnson, W. E. |last2= Eizirik, E. |last3=Pecon-Slattery, J. |last4=Murphy, W. J. |last5 = Antunes, A. |last6 = Teeling, E. |last7 = O'Brien, S. J. | name-list-style=amp |year=2006 |doi=10.1126/science.1122277 |title=The Late Miocene radiation of modern Felidae: A genetic assessment |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |volume=311 |pages=73–77 |pmid=16400146 |issue=5757 |bibcode=2006Sci...311...73J|s2cid= 41672825 |url= https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/2707/da7361f39123f2e1d2af96a8ed0b6d8ff723.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200208160728/https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/2707/da7361f39123f2e1d2af96a8ed0b6d8ff723.pdf |archive-date= 2020-02-08 }}</ref><ref name="werdelin">{{cite book |last1=Werdelin |first1=L. |last2=Yamaguchi|first2=N. |last3=Johnson|first3=W. E. |last4=O'Brien |first4=S. J. |name-list-style=amp |chapter=Phylogeny and evolution of cats (Felidae) |year=2010 |title=Biology and Conservation of Wild Felids |pages=59–82 |chapter-url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266755142 |editor1-last=Macdonald |editor1-first=D. W. |editor2-last=Loveridge |editor2-first=A. J. |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford, UK |isbn=978-0-19-923445-5}}</ref>

{{clade|style=font-size:90%;line-height:75%;
|1={{clade
    |label1=''[[Caracal (genus)|Caracal]]''
    |1={{clade
       |1=[[Serval]]&nbsp;(''Leptailurus serval'')
       |2={{clade
          |1=[[Caracal]]&nbsp;(''C. caracal'')
          |2=[[African golden cat]]&nbsp;(''C. aurata'')
          }}
       }}
    |2={{clade
       |label1=''[[Leopardus]]''
       |1={{clade
          |1={{clade
             |1='''Ocelot'''&nbsp;(''L. pardalis'')
             |2=[[Margay]]&nbsp;(''L. wieldii'')
             }}
          |2={{clade
             |1={{clade
                |1=[[Andean mountain cat]]&nbsp;(''L. jacobita'')
                |2=[[Pampas cat]]&nbsp;(''L. colocolo'')
                }}
             |2={{clade
                |1={{clade
                   |1=[[Geoffroy's cat]]&nbsp;(''L. geoffroyi'')
                   |2=[[Kodkod]]&nbsp;(''L. guigna'')
                   }}
                |2=[[Oncilla]]&nbsp;(''L. tigrinus'')
                }}
             }}
          }}
       |2={{clade
          |label1=''[[Lynx]]''
          |1={{clade
             |1=[[Bobcat]]&nbsp;(''L. rufus'')
             |2={{clade
                 |1=[[Canada lynx]]&nbsp;(''L. canadensis'')
                 |2={{clade
                     |1=[[Eurasian lynx]]&nbsp;(''L. lynx'')
                     |2=[[Iberian lynx]]&nbsp;(''L. pardinus'')
                    }}
                }}
             }}
       |3={{clade
              |label1= ''[[Puma (genus)|Puma]]''
              |1={{clade
                  |1=[[Cougar]]&nbsp;(''P. concolor'')
                  }}
                }}
             }}
          }}
       }}
    }}

== Characteristics ==
[[File:Ocelot.jpg|thumb|The ocelot is not significantly [[sexually dimorphic]], varying only slightly in mature maximum weight.]]
The ocelot's fur is extensively marked with solid black markings on a creamy, tawny, yellowish, reddish gray or gray background color. The spots on the head and limbs are small, but markings on the back, cheeks, and flanks are open or closed bands and stripes. A few dark stripes run straight from the back of the neck up to the tip of the tail. Its neck and undersides are white, and the insides of the legs are marked with a few horizontal streaks. Its round ears are marked with a bright white spot.<ref name = Sunquist /> Its fur is short, about {{cvt|0.8|cm}} long on the belly, but with about {{cvt|1|cm}} long guard hairs on the back.<ref name=mammal /> The body has a notably strong odor.<ref name=caldwell /> Each ocelot has a unique color pattern, which can be used to identify individuals.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Camarena-Ibarrola |first1=A. |last2=Figueroa |first2=K. |last3=Tejeda |first3=H. |last4=Valero |first4=L. |name-list-style=amp |title=Ocelot identification through spots |journal=Multimedia Tools and Applications |date=2019 |volume=78 |issue=18 |pages=26239–26262 |doi=10.1007/s11042-019-07837-1 |s2cid=174803096}}</ref> Its eyes are brown, but reflect in a golden hue when illuminated.<ref>{{cite book |author=Cisin, C. |year=1967 |title=Especially Ocelots |location=Amagansett, New York |publisher=Harry G. Cisin}}</ref> It has 28 to 30 teeth, with the [[dental formula]] {{DentalFormula|upper=3.1.2–3.1|lower=3.1.2.1}}.<ref name=mammal /> It has a [[bite force quotient]] at the [[Canine tooth|canine]] tip of 113.8.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Christiansen, P. |author2=Wroe, S. |name-list-style=amp |year=2007 |title=Bite forces and evolutionary adaptations to feeding ecology in carnivores |journal=Ecology |volume=88 |issue=2 |pages=347–358 |doi=10.1890/0012-9658(2007)88[347:bfaeat]2.0.co;2 |pmid=17479753}}</ref> Only one ocelot is known to possess [[albinism]], and the appearance of such a trait in ocelots is likely an indication of shrinking populations due to [[deforestation]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reynoso |first=Lucas |date=2022-12-27 |title=The world's first known albino ocelot worries scientists |url=https://english.elpais.com/science-tech/2022-12-27/the-worlds-first-known-albino-ocelot-worries-scientists.html |access-date=2023-01-02 |website=EL PAÍS English Edition |language=en-us}}</ref>

With a head-and-body length ranging from {{cvt|55|to|100|cm}} and a {{cvt|30|to|45|cm}} long tail, the ocelot is the largest member of the genus ''Leopardus''.<ref name=Sunquist /> It typically reaches {{cvt|40–50|cm}} at the shoulder.<ref name=mammal /> The weight of females ranges between {{cvt|7|and|12|kg}} and of males between {{cvt|8|and|18|kg}}.<ref name=Sunquist /><ref name=Nowak>{{cite book |last1=Nowak |first1=R. M. |title=Walker's Mammals of the World |year=1999 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |location=Baltimore, US |isbn=978-0-8018-5789-8 |pages=816–817|edition=Sixth |chapter=''Felis pardalis'' (Ocelot) |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T37sFCl43E8C&pg=PA816}}</ref> Its footprint measures nearly {{cvt|5|×|5|cm}}.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Murie |first1=O. J. |title=A Field Guide to Animal Tracks |date=1998 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Co. |location=New York |isbn=978-0-395-91094-8 |edition=Second |page=123 |chapter=Ocelot |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W0oXVdorWzkC&pg=PA123 |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780395910948/page/123}}</ref>

The ocelot can be confused with the [[margay]] (''Leopardus wiedii'') and the [[oncilla]] (''L. tigrinus''), though the ocelot is noticeably larger and heavier with a shorter tail. Though all three have [[Rosette (zoology)|rosettes]] on their coats, the ocelot typically has a more blotched pattern; the oncilla has dark spots on its underbelly unlike the other two. Other differences lie in the facial markings, appearance of the tail and fur characteristics.<ref name = Sunquist /><ref name="Bowers">{{cite book |last1=Bowers |first1=N. |last2=Bowers |first2=R. |last3=Kaufman |first3=K. |name-list-style=amp |title=Kaufman Field Guide to Mammals of North America |year=2007 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Co. |location=New York |isbn=978-0-618-95188-8 |chapter=Ocelot ''Leopardus pardalis'' |page=140 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vfRgcZIOizEC&pg=PA140}}</ref> The ocelot is similar in size to a [[bobcat]] (''Lynx rufus''), though larger individuals have occasionally been recorded.<ref name=Moreno2006>{{cite journal  |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |volume=87 |issue=4 |pages=808–816 |year=2006 |title=Competitive release in diets of ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') and puma (''Puma concolor'') after jaguar (''Panthera onca'') decline |last1=Moreno |first1=R. S. |doi=10.1644/05-MAMM-A-360R2.1 |last2=Kays |first2=R. W. |last3=Samudio |first3=R. |s2cid=37859321 |name-list-style=amp  |url=http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/staffpubs/docs/15933.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110304074112/http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/staffpubs/docs/15933.pdf |archive-date=2011-03-04 |doi-access=free}}</ref> The jaguar is notably larger and heavier, and has rosettes instead of spots and stripes.<ref name="Burt">{{cite book|last1=Burt |first1=W.H. |title=A Field Guide to the Mammals: North America North of Mexico |year=1976 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Co.|location=Boston, US |isbn=978-0-395-91098-6 |edition=Third |pages=78–79 |chapter=Ocelot ''Felis pardalis'' |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O3l0WGH4CF4C&pg=PA78}}</ref>

== Distribution and habitat ==
[[File:Pantanal - Jaguatirica.webm|thumb|thumbtime=0:00|Two ocelots, mother and daughter, in a wooded area of the [[Pantanal]] wetlands; at night, they encounter fewer humans on this farm.]]
The ocelot ranges from the southwestern United States to northern Argentina, up to an elevation of {{cvt|3000|m}}.<ref name=iucn /> In the [[United States]], it occurs in Texas and Arizona, and is [[extirpated]] from [[Louisiana]] and [[Arkansas]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Kitchener, A. |date=1991 |title=The natural history of the wild cats |publisher=Comstock Publishing Associates, Cornell Univ. Press |place=Ithaca}}</ref> Ocelots fossils were found in [[Florida]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ray |first1=C.E. |last2=Olsen|first2=S.J. |last3=Gut |first3=H.J. |date=1963 |title=Three mammals new to the Pleistocene fauna of Florida, and a reconsideration of five earlier records |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |volume=44 |issue=3 |page=373 |doi=10.2307/1377207 |jstor=1377207}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Morgan |first1=G.S. |last2=Emslie |first2=S.D. |date=2010 |title=Tropical and western influences in vertebrate faunas from the Pliocene and Pleistocene of Florida |journal=[[Quaternary International]] |volume=217 |issue=1–2 |pages=143–158 |doi=10.1016/j.quaint.2009.11.030|bibcode=2010QuInt.217..143M }}</ref>

It inhabits tropical forests, [[thorn forest]]s, [[mangrove swamps]] and [[savanna]]s.<ref name="Sunquist" /> In the [[Amazon rainforest]], it prefers habitats with availability of prey and water, and tends to avoid other predators. It favors areas with dense forest cover and water sources, far from roads and human settlement, avoiding steep slopes and highly elevated areas.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ahumada |first1=J. A. |last2=Hurtado |first2=J. |last3=Lizcano |first3=D. |last4=Somers |first4=M. |name-list-style=amp |title=Monitoring the status and trends of tropical forest terrestrial vertebrate communities from camera trap data: a tool for conservation |journal=PLOS ONE |date=2013 |volume=8 |issue=9 |article-number=e73707 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0073707 |pmid=24023898 |bibcode=2013PLoSO...873707A |pmc=3762718 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Di Bitetti |first1=M. S. |last2=Albanesi |first2=S. A. |last3=Foguet |first3=M. J. |last4=De Angelo |first4=C. |last5=Brown |first5=A. D. |name-list-style=amp |title=The effect of anthropic pressures and elevation on the large and medium-sized terrestrial mammals of the subtropical mountain forests (Yungas) of NW Argentina |journal=[[Mammalian Biology]] |date=2013 |volume=78 |issue=1 |pages=21–27 |s2cid=56466844 |doi=10.1016/j.mambio.2012.08.006 |bibcode=2013MamBi..78...21D |hdl=11336/76420 |hdl-access=free}}</ref><ref name=wang19>{{cite journal |last1=Wang |first1=B. |last2=Rocha |first2=D. G. |last3=Abrahams |first3=M. I. |last4=Antunes |first4=A. P. |last5=Costa |first5=H. C. M. |last6=Gonçalves |first6=A. L. S. |last7=Spironello |first7=W. R. |last8=Paula |first8=M. J. |last9=Peres |first9=C. A. |last10=Pezzuti |first10=J. |last11=Ramalho |first11=E. |last12=Reis |first12=M. L. |last13=Carvalho Jr |first13=E. |last14=Rohe |first14=F. |last15=Macdonald |first15=D. W. |last16=Tan |first16=C. K. W. |name-list-style=amp |title=Habitat use of the ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') in Brazilian Amazon |journal=Ecology and Evolution |date=2019 |volume=9 |issue=9 |pages=5049–5062 |doi=10.1002/ece3.5005 |pmid=31110661 |pmc=6509378 |bibcode=2019EcoEv...9.5049W}}</ref> In areas where ocelots coexist with larger predators such as [[cougar]]s and humans, they tune their active hours to avoid them, and seek dense cover to avoid competitors.<ref name=ol10>{{cite book |author1=de Oliveira, T. G. |author2=Tortato, M. A. |author3=Silveira, L. |author4=Kasper, C. B. |author5=Mazim, F. D. |author6=Lucherini, M. |author7=Sunquist, M. E. |name-list-style=amp |editor1-last=Macdonald |editor1-first=D. |editor2-last=Loveridge |editor2-first=A. |title=Biology and Conservation of Wild Felids |date=2010 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-19-923445-5 |pages=559–580 |chapter=Ocelot ecology and its effect on the small-felid guild in the lowland neotropics |chapter-url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262224466}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Massara |first1=R. L. |last2=de Oliveira Paschoal |first2=A. M. |last3=Bailey |first3=L. L. |last4=Doherty |first4=P. F. |last5=de Frias Barreto |first5=M. |last6=Chiarello |first6=A. G. |name-list-style=amp |title=Effect of humans and pumas on the temporal activity of ocelots in protected areas of Atlantic Forest |journal=Mammalian Biology |date=2018 |volume=92 |pages=86–93 |doi=10.1016/j.mambio.2018.04.009 |bibcode=2018MamBi..92...86M |s2cid=90429470}}</ref> It can adapt well to its surroundings; as such, factors other than the aforementioned are not significant in its choice of habitat.<ref name=wang19 />

It shares a large part of its range with the jaguar, [[jaguarundi]], margay, oncilla and cougar.<ref name =Sunquist />

== Ecology and behavior ==
[[File:Ocelot 01.jpg|thumb|Ocelot resting in a tree]]
The ocelot is usually solitary and active mainly during twilight and at night. [[Radio collar]]ed individuals in the [[Cocha Cashu Biological Station]] in [[Peru]] rested during the day and became active earliest in the late afternoon; they moved between 3.2 and 17 hours until dawn and then returned to their dens.<ref name=Emmons>{{cite journal |last1=Emmons |first1=L. H. |title=A field study of ocelots ''Felis pardalis'' in Peru |journal=Revue d'Écologie |year=1988 |volume=43 |issue=2 |pages=133–157 |doi=10.3406/revec.1988.5418 |s2cid=131657310 |url=http://documents.irevues.inist.fr/bitstream/handle/2042/55319/LATERREETLAVIE_1988_43_2_133.pdf?sequence=1 |access-date=2016-06-08 |archive-date=2016-08-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828214750/http://documents.irevues.inist.fr/bitstream/handle/2042/55319/LATERREETLAVIE_1988_43_2_133.pdf?sequence=1 }}</ref>

During the daytime, it rests on trees, in dens below large trees or other cool, sheltered sites on the ground. It is agile in climbing and leaping, and escapes predators by jumping on trees. It is also an efficient swimmer. It scent-marks its [[territory (animal)|territory]] by spraying urine. The territories of males are {{cvt|3.5|–|46|km2}} large, while those of females cover {{cvt|0.8|–|15|km2}}. Territories of females rarely overlap, whereas the territory of a male includes those of two to three females. Social interaction between sexes is minimal, though a few adults have been observed together even in non-mating periods, and some juveniles interact with their parents.<ref name=Sunquist /> Data from [[camera trap]]ping studies confirm that several ocelot individuals deposit scat in one or several communal sites, called [[Animal latrine|latrines]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Moreno |first1=R. |last2=Giacalone |first2=J. |name-list-style=amp |date=2006 |title=Ecological data obtained from latrine use by ocelots (''Leopardus pardalis'') on Barro Colorado Island, Panamá |journal=Tecnociencia |language=es |volume=8 |pages=7–21 |url=https://up-rid.up.ac.pa/791/}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Rodgers, T. W. |author2=Giacalone, J. |author3=Heske, E. J. |author4=Pawlikowski, N. C. |author5=Schooley, R. L. |name-list-style=amp |year=2015 |title=Communal latrines act as potentially important communication centers in ocelots ''Leopardus pardalis'' |journal=Mammalian Biology - Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde |volume=80 |issue=5 |pages=380–384 |doi=10.1016/j.mambio.2015.05.004 |bibcode=2015MamBi..80..380R}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=King, T.W. |author2=Salom-Pérez, R. |author3=Shipley, L.A. |author4=Quigley, H.B. |author5=Thornton, D.H. |name-list-style=amp |year=2016 |title=Ocelot latrines: communication centers for Neotropical mammals |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |volume=98 |issue=1 |pages=106–113 |doi=10.1093/jmammal/gyw174 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Ocelots can be aggressive in defending their territory, fighting even to death.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Thompson, C. L. |year=2011 |title=Intraspecific killing of a male ocelot |journal=Mammalian Biology - Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde |volume=76 |issue=3 |pages=377–379 |doi=10.1016/j.mambio.2010.10.011 |bibcode=2011MamBi..76..377T |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251700127}}</ref>

The [[population density]] of ocelots has been observed to be high in areas with high rainfall, but tends to decrease with increasing latitude; highest densities have been recorded in the tropics.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Di Bitetti |first1=M. S. |last2=Paviolo |first2=A. |last3=De Angelo |first3=C. D. |last4=Di Blanco |first4=Y. E. |name-list-style=amp |title=Local and continental correlates of the abundance of a neotropical cat, the ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') |journal=Journal of Tropical Ecology |date=2008 |volume=24 |issue=2 |pages=189–200 |doi=10.1017/S0266467408004847 |hdl=11336/61267 |s2cid=85576074|hdl-access=free}}</ref> In 2014, the ocelot population density in [[Barro Colorado Island]] was estimated to be {{cvt|1.59|–|1.74|/km2}}, greater than {{cvt|0.984|/km2}} recorded in northwestern Amazon in Peru in 2010, which was the densest ocelot population recorded thus far.<ref>{{cite journal |year=2014 |title=Comparison of noninvasive genetics and camera trapping for estimating population density of ocelots (''Leopardus pardalis'') on Barro Colorado Island, Panama |journal=Tropical Conservation Science |author1=Rodgers, T. W. |author2=Giacalone, J. |author3=Heske, E. J. |author4=Janečka, J. E. |author5=Phillips, C. A. |author6=Schooley, R. L. |name-list-style=amp |volume=7 |issue=4 |pages=690–705 |doi-access=free |doi=10.1177/194008291400700408}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kolowski |first1=J. M. |last2=Alonso |first2=A. |name-list-style=amp |title=Density and activity patterns of ocelots (''Leopardus pardalis'') in northern Peru and the impact of oil exploration activities |journal=Biological Conservation |date=2010 |volume=143 |issue=4 |pages=917–925 |doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2009.12.039 |bibcode=2010BCons.143..917K}}</ref>

Potential predators of the ocelot in Texas include the [[cougar]], [[coyote]] and [[American alligator]], while ocelot kittens are vulnerable to [[Bird of prey|raptors]], such as the [[great horned owl]], as well as [[feral dog]]s, [[feral pig]]s, [[crotalid]] pit vipers and [[colubrid]] constrictors.<ref>{{cite report |author=Harwell, G. |title= Listed cats of Texas and Arizona: Recovery plan, with emphasis on the ocelot |publisher=[[US Fish and Wildlife Service]] |year=1990 |chapter=Status of the Texas ocelot |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ManwAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA15 |pages=10–22}}</ref> Studies have found that adult ocelots are vulnerable to predation by both cougars and [[jaguar]]s, with decreasing water sources in [[Guatemala]] causing predatory encounters with the latter.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=De Oliveira, T. G. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Pereira, J. A. |year=2014 |title=Intraguild predation and interspecific killing as structuring forces of carnivoran communities in South America |journal=Journal of Mammalian Evolution |volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=427–436 |doi=10.1007/s10914-013-9251-4 |s2cid=17966102 |hdl=11336/19188 |hdl-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Perera-Romero, L. |author2=Garcia-Anleu, R. |author3=McNab, R. B. |author4=Thornton, D. H. |name-list-style=amp |year=2021 |title=When waterholes get busy, rare interactions thrive: Photographic evidence of a jaguar (''Panthera onca'') killing an ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') |journal=Biotropica |volume=53 |issue=2 |pages=367–371 |doi=10.1111/btp.12916 |bibcode=2021Biotr..53..367P |s2cid=233820576}}</ref>

=== Hunting and diet ===
[[File:Jaguatirica.jpg|thumb|An ocelot hunting at night]]
Ocelots have been observed to follow [[Tracking (hunting)|scent trails]] in search for prey, walking at a speed of about {{cvt|0.3|km/h|1}}.<ref name=Emmons/> Alternatively, an ocelot may wait for prey for 30 to 60 minutes at a certain site and move to another walking at {{cvt|0.8|–|1.4|km/h}} if unsuccessful. An ocelot typically prefers hunting in areas with vegetation cover, avoiding open areas, especially on moonlit nights, so as not to be seen by the prey. As a carnivore, it preys on small terrestrial mammals such as [[rodent]]s, [[Lagomorpha|lagomorphs]], [[armadillo]]s, [[opossum]]s, also fish, crustaceans, insects, reptiles and birds. It usually feeds on the kill immediately, but removes bird feathers before. It typically preys on animals that weigh less than {{cvt|1|kg}}, but rarely targets large ungulates such as deer, sheep and [[peccaries]], as well as [[anteater]]s, [[New World monkey]]s and [[iguana]]s. It requires {{cvt|600|–|800|g}} of food every day to satisfy its energy requirements.<ref name=Sunquist/>

Primates prevail in the diet of ocelots in southeastern Brazil<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Bianchi |first1=R.C. |last2=Mendes |first2=S.L. |name-list-style=amp |title=Ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') predation on primates in Caratinga Biological Station, southeast Brazil |journal=American Journal of Primatology |year=2007 |volume=69 |issue=10 |pages=1173–1178 |doi=10.1002/ajp.20415 |pmid=17330310 |s2cid=21305103}}</ref> and iguanas in a tropical deciduous forest in Mexico.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Meza |first1=A.V. |last2=Meyer |first2=E.M. |last3=Gonzalez |first3=C.A.L. |name-list-style=amp |title=Ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') food habits in a tropical deciduous forest of Jalisco, Mexico |journal=The American Midland Naturalist |year=2002 |volume=148|issue=1 |pages=146–154 |doi=10.1674/0003-0031(2002)148[0146:OLPFHI]2.0.CO;2 |s2cid=198158053}}</ref> The composition of the diet varies by season; in Venezuela, ocelots were found to prefer iguanas and rodents in the dry season and then switch to [[land crab]]s in the wet season.<ref name=Ludlow>{{cite journal |last1=Ludlow |first1=M.E.|last2=Sunquist|first2=M. |name-list-style=amp |title=Ecology and behavior of ocelots in Venezuela |journal=National Geographic Research |year=1987|volume=3|issue=4|pages=447–461}}</ref> In southeastern Brazil, ocelots have a similar prey preference as margays and oncillas. The oncillas focus on tree-living [[marsupial]]s and birds while the margays are not as selective.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wang |first1=E. |title=Diets of ocelots (''Leopardus pardalis''), margays (''L. wiedii''), and oncillas (''L. tigrinus'') in the Atlantic rainforest in southeast Brazil |journal=Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment |year=2002 |volume=37 |issue=3 |pages=207–212 |doi=10.1076/snfe.37.3.207.8564 |bibcode=2002SNFE...37..207W |s2cid=83976479}}</ref>

===Reproduction and life cycle===
[[File:Ocelo baby 1.jpg|thumb|An ocelot kitten]]
Both male and female ocelots produce a long-range "yowl" in the mating season and a short-range "meow".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Peters |first1=G.|title=On the structure of friendly close range vocalizations in terrestrial carnivores (Mammalia: Carnivora: Fissipedia) |journal=Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde |year=1984 |volume=49 |issue=3 |pages=157–182}}</ref> Ocelots can mate any time during the year. The peak mating season varies geographically; in Argentina and Paraguay, peaks have been observed in autumn, in Mexico and Texas in autumn and winter. [[Estrus]] lasts four to five days and recurs every 25 days in a non-pregnant female.<ref name=Nowak/> A study in southern Brazil showed that sperm production in ocelots, margays and oncillas peaks in summer.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Morais|first1=R.N.|last2=Mucciolo|first2=R.G.|last3=Gomes|first3=M.L.F.|last4=Lacerda |first4=O. |last5=Moraes |first5=W. |last6=Moreira|first6=N.|last7=Graham|first7=L.H.|last8=Swanson |first8=W.F. |last9=Brown |first9=J.L. |title=Seasonal analysis of semen characteristics, serum testosterone and fecal androgens in the ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis''), margay (''L. wiedii'') and tigrina (''L. tigrinus'') |journal=Theriogenology |year=2002 |volume=57 |issue=8|pages=2027–2041|doi=10.1016/S0093-691X(02)00707-0 |pmid=12066863}}</ref> When mating, captive ocelots spend more time together, scent-mark extensively and eat less.<ref name=mammal/>

The female gives birth to a litter of one to three kittens after a [[gestation]] period of two to three months. Dens are usually located in dense vegetation. A newborn kitten weighs {{cvt|200|–|340|g}}.<ref name=Sunquist/><ref name=Nowak/> The kitten is born with spots and stripes, though on a gray background; the color changes to golden as the ocelot grows older.<ref name=caldwell>{{cite web |title=Ocelot |work=Caldwell Zoo |url=https://caldwellzoo.org/habitats/north-america/ocelot/ |publisher=[[Caldwell Zoo]] |access-date=24 December 2019 |archive-date=21 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221203922/https://caldwellzoo.org/habitats/north-america/ocelot/ }}</ref> A study in southern Texas revealed that a mother keeps a litter in a den for 13 to 64 days and shifts the young to two or three dens.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Laack |first1=L.L. |last2=Tewes |first2=M.E. |last3=Haines |first3=A.M. |last4=Rappole |first4=J.H.|title=Reproductive life history of ocelots ''Leopardus pardalis'' in southern Texas |journal=Acta Theriologica |year=2005 |volume=50 |issue=4 |pages=505–514 |doi=10.1007/BF03192643|s2cid=1193321}}</ref> The kitten's eyes open 15 to 18 days after birth. Kittens begin to leave the den at the age of three months. They remain with their mother for up to two years and then start dispersing and establishing their own territory. In comparison to other felids, ocelots have a relatively longer duration between births and a narrow litter size. Captive ocelots live for up to 20 years.<ref name=Sunquist/>

== Threats ==
[[File:Taxidermy of Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis).jpg|thumb|Ocelot skin]]
Throughout its range, the ocelot is threatened by [[habitat loss|loss]] and fragmentation of habitat.<ref name=iucn /> In Texas, the fertile land that supports dense cover and constitutes the optimum habitat for the ocelot is being lost to agriculture. The habitat is often fragmented into small pockets that cannot support ocelots well, leading to deaths due to starvation. Traffic accidents have emerged as a major threat over the years, as ocelots try to expand beyond their natural habitat to new areas and get hit by vehicles.<ref name=report>{{cite report |author=Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Wildlife Diversity Branch |title=Ocelot |publisher=[[Texas Parks and Wildlife Department]] |location=Austin, Texas |date=n.d. |pages=1–3 |url=http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_w7000_0013_ocelot.pdf}}</ref> In the [[Atlantic Forest]] in northeastern Argentina, it is affected by [[logging]] and [[poaching]] of prey species.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Di Bitetti, M.S. |author2=De Angelo, C.D. |author3=Di Blanco, Y. E. |author4=Paviolo, A. |name-list-style=amp |year=2010 |title=Niche partitioning and species coexistence in a Neotropical felid assemblage |journal=Acta Oecologica |volume=36 |issue=4 |pages=403–412 |doi=10.1016/j.actao.2010.04.001 |url=https://www.academia.edu/download/33472764/Di_Bitetti_et_al_2010_ACTOEC2632.pdf|bibcode=2010AcO....36..403D }}{{dead link|date=July 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

The [[fur trade]] was a flourishing business in the 1960s and the 1970s that resulted in severe exploitation of felids such as the ocelot and the jaguar.<ref name=furtrade>{{cite book |last1=Loveridge |first1=A. J. |last2=Wang|first2=S. W. |last3=Frank|first3=L. G. |last4= Seidensticker|first4= J. |name-list-style=amp |chapter=People and wild felids: conservation of cats and management of conflicts |year=2010 |title=Biology and Conservation of Wild Felids |pages=161–190 |editor1-last=Macdonald |editor1-first=D. W. |editor2-last=Loveridge |editor2-first=A. J.|publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford, UK |isbn=978-0-19-923445-5 |chapter-url=https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/11074/nzp_Loveridge_et_al_Macdonald__Chapter_6.pdf}}</ref> In the 1960s, ocelot skins were among the most highly preferred in the US, reaching an all-time high of 140,000 skins traded in 1970.<ref>{{cite book |last1=McMahan |first1=L. R. |editor1-last=Miller |editor1-first=S. D. |editor2-last=Everett |editor2-first=D. D. |title=Cats of the World: Biology, Conservation, and Management |date=1986 |publisher=National Wildlife Federation |location=Washington D. C. |isbn=978-0-912186-78-8 |pages=461–488 |chapter=The international cat trade}}</ref> This was followed by prohibitions on commercial trade of spotted cat skins in several [[range state]]s such as Brazil and the US, causing ocelot skins in trade to plummet.<ref name=furtrade/> In 1986, the [[European Economic Community]] banned import of ocelot skins, and in 1989, the ocelot was included in [[CITES Appendix I|Appendix I]] of the [[Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora]]. However, hunting of ocelots for skins has continued and is still a major threat to ocelot survival.<ref name=Sunquist/>

Another threat has been the international [[pet trade]]; this typically involves capturing ocelot kittens by killing their mothers; these cats are then sold to tourists. Though it is banned in several countries, pet trade survives; in some areas of Central and South America, ocelots are still sold in a few local markets.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Graham, K. |year=2017 |title=International Intent and Domestic Application of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): The Case of the Ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') |journal=Journal of International Wildlife Law & Policy |volume=20 |issue=3–4 |pages=253–294 |doi=10.1080/13880292.2017.1403797 |s2cid=89746431}}</ref>

== Conservation ==
The ocelot is listed as [[Least Concern]] on the [[IUCN Red List]] because of its wide distribution in the Americas. Ocelot hunting is banned in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, [[Trinidad and Tobago]], the United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela; hunting is regulated in Peru. As of 2013, the global population was estimated at more than 40,000 mature individuals.<ref name=iucn /> Ocelot populations were stable in some [[Amazon basin]] areas as of 2013.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=de Oliveira|first1=T. G.|last2=de Almeida|first2=L. B.|last3=de Campos|first3=C. B. |name-list-style=amp |date=2013|title=Avaliação do risco de extinção da jaguatirica ''Leopardus pardalis'' no Brasil|trans-title=Assessment of the risk of extinction of ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') in Brazil |journal=Biodiversidade Brasileira |language=pt|volume=3|issue=1|pages=66–75 |doi=10.37002/biodiversidadebrasileira.v3i1.372 |doi-access=free}}</ref> As of 2012, the ocelot population in Argentina's subtropical regions was estimated to consist of 1,500 to 8,000 mature individuals.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Aprile G. |author2=Cuyckens, E. |author3=De Angelo, C. |author4=Di Bitetti, M. |author5=Lucherini, M. |author6=Muzzachiodi, N. |author7=Palacios, R. |author8=Paviolo, A. |author9=Quiroga, V. |author10=Soler, L. |name-list-style=amp |year=2012 |chapter=Family: Felidae |editor1=R.A. Ojeda |editor2=V. Chillo |editor3=Vand G.B. Díaz Isenrath |title=Libro Rojo de los Mamíferos Amenazados de la Argentina |trans-title=Red Book of Threatened Mammals of Argentina |publisher=SAREM |location=Mendoza, Argentina |language=pt}}</ref> It has been recorded in oil palm landscapes and big cattle ranches in the Colombian [[Llanos]] and inter-[[Andean]] valleys.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Boron |first1=V. |last2=Payan |first2=E. |year=2013 |chapter=Abundancia de carnívoros en el agropaisaje de las plantaciones de palma de aceite del valle medio del río Magdalena, Colombia (undance of carnivores in the agro-landscape of oil palm plantations in the middle valley of the Magdalena River, Colombia) |editor1=Castaño-Uribe, C. |editor2=Gonzalez-Maya, J.F. |editor3=Ange, C. |editor4=Zarrate-Charry, D. |editor5=Vela-Vargas, M. |title=Plan de Conservación de Felinos del Caribe Colombiano 2007–2012: Los Felinos y su Papel en la Planificación Regional Integral basada en Especies Clave |trans-title=Conservation Plan for Felines of the Colombian Caribbean 2007–2012: Felines and their Role in Comprehensive Regional Planning based on Key Species |pages=165–176 |location=Santa Marta |publisher=Fundación Herencia Ambiental Caribe, ProCAT, Colombia, The Sierra to Sea Institute |language=pt}}</ref>

=== In Texas ===
In Texas and northeastern Mexico, ocelot populations have reduced drastically; as of 2014, the population in Texas was estimated to be 50–80 individuals.<ref>{{cite book |author=Tewes, M.E. |year=2019 |title=Conservation status of the endangered ocelot in the United States: a 35-year perspective |series=37th Annual Faculty Lecture |publisher=Texas A&M University |location=Kingsville, TX |url=https://www.ckwri.tamuk.edu/sites/default/files/37th_annual_faculty_lecture_-_michael_tewes.pdf}}</ref> The reduced numbers have led to increased inbreeding and low [[genetic diversity]].<ref name=iucn /><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Janecka |first1=J. E. |last2=Tewes |first2=M. E. |last3=Laack |first3=L. |last4=Caso |first4=A. |last5=Grassman |first5=L. I. |last6=Honeycutt |first6=R. L. |last7=Castresana |first7=J. |name-list-style=amp |title=Loss of genetic diversity among ocelots in the United States during the 20th century linked to human induced population reductions |journal=PLOS ONE |date=2014 |volume=9 |issue=2 |article-number=e89384 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0089384 |pmid=24586737 |pmc=3935880 |bibcode=2014PLoSO...989384J |doi-access=free}}</ref> Despite this, the [[US Fish and Wildlife Service]] failed to acknowledge the ocelot population in Texas as a distinct population segment worthy of listing as endangered.<ref>{{cite journal |author=U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |year=2022 |title=90-Day Findings for Three Species. Notification of petition findings and initiation of status reviews |journal=Federal Register |volume=87 |issue=26 |pages=7079–7083 |url=https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/02/08/2022-02545/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-90-day-findings-for-three-species}}</ref> The US Fish and Wildlife Service, the [[Texas Parks and Wildlife Department]] and [[The Nature Conservancy]] are among agencies actively involved in ocelot conservation efforts, such as the protection and regeneration of vegetation in the [[Rio Grande Valley (Texas)|Rio Grande Valley]].<ref name=report /><ref name=Sunquist /> Much of the reintroduction effort is taking place on private lands.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.mongabay.com/2023/11/texas-ocelot-breeding-and-reintroduction-may-offer-new-route-to-recovery/ |title=Texas ocelot breeding and reintroduction may offer new route to recovery |author=Erik Iverson |work=Mongabay |date=21 November 2023 |access-date=23 November 2023}}</ref> [[NatureServe]] considers the ocelot ''apparently secure'' globally, but ''critically imperiled'' in Texas and Arizona.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Leopardus pardalis'' |work=NatureServe |access-date=27 October 2022 |url=https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104046/Leopardus_pardalis}}</ref>

=== In captivity ===
The [[American Zoo and Aquarium Association]] established a [[Species Survival Plan]] for the ocelot populations in Brazil. In 2006, the captive population in North American zoos consisted of 16 ocelots representing six founders and their offspring. Some litters were produced using [[artificial insemination]].<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Swanson, W.F. |year=2006 |title=Application of assisted reproduction for population management in felids: the potential and reality for conservation of small cats |journal=Theriogenology |volume=66 |issue=1 |pages=49–58 |doi=10.1016/j.theriogenology.2006.03.024 |pmid=16650889 |s2cid=46306166 |url=http://planet.uwc.ac.za/NISL/Gwen%27s%20Files/Conservation%20Biology/Chapters/Info%20to%20Use/Chapter7/assistreprodfelidsSwanson.pdf |access-date=2020-01-14 |archive-date=2022-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004195053/https://planet.uwc.ac.za/NISL/Gwen%27s%20Files/Conservation%20Biology/Chapters/Info%20to%20Use/Chapter7/assistreprodfelidsSwanson.pdf }}</ref>
The [[Emperor Valley Zoo]] in Trinidad keeps foremost confiscated and trapped ocelots.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Khan, K.|last2=Mohammed, R.|year=2015|title=Captive Ocelots at Trinidad's Emperor Valley Zoo: Retrospective and Suggested Management|url=https://ttfnc.org/livingworld/index.php/lwj/article/viewFile/31/27|journal=Living World, Journal of the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists' Club|pages=52–56|access-date=2020-01-14|archive-date=2020-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200114104222/https://ttfnc.org/livingworld/index.php/lwj/article/viewFile/31/27}}</ref>

== In culture ==
Ocelots have been associated with humans since the time of the [[Aztec Civilisation|Aztec]] and [[Incan civilization|Incan]] civilizations, who depicted ocelots in their art and mythology. Representations of ocelots appear in every artistic medium, from [[Moche culture|Moche]] ceramics to murals, architectural details, and landscape features. Ocelot bones were made into thin, pointed instruments to pierce ears and limbs for [[Bloodletting in Mesoamerica|ritual bloodletting]]. Several figurines depicting ocelots and similar felids are known. In her 1904 work ''A Penitential Rite of the Ancient Mexicans'', archaeologist [[Zelia Nuttall]] described a statue depicting an ocelot or another felid excavated in Mexico City and its relation to the Aztec deity [[Tezcatlipoca]]. She argued that the sculpture depicted an ocelot, writing,<ref name = nutall>{{cite book |last1=Nuttall |first1=Z. |author1-link = Zelia Nuttall |title=A Penitential Rite of the Ancient Mexicans |date=1904 |publisher=[[Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology]] |location=Cambridge, Massachusetts |pages=[https://archive.org/details/apenitentialrit00nuttgoog/page/n14 10], 18, 21; 23–26 |url = https://archive.org/details/apenitentialrit00nuttgoog |series = Archaeological and Ethnological Papers of the Peabody Museum |oclc = 2991502}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|According to the well-known myth, Tezcatlipoca, when cast down from heaven by [[Quetzalcoatl]], "fell into the water where he transformed himself into an ocelot" and arose to kill certain giants.}}

Moreover, she described a photograph of a seated person to corroborate her claim:<ref name = nutall />

{{Blockquote|At the back of his head, above his left hand, the head of an ocelot is visible, whose skin hangs behind his back, the tail ending below his knee. Besides this the personage wears leggings made of the spotted ocelot skin and a rattlesnake girdle from which hang two conventionalized hearts. It is interesting to find that in a note written beneath its photograph the late Senor Islas de Bustamante, independently identified the above figure as a representation of "Ocelotl-Tezcatlipoca" or Tlatoca-ocelot, lit. the Lord Ocelot ... and described as wearing "the beard of the mask of Tezcatlipoca".}}

Like many other felids, occasionally ocelots are kept as pets. They might demand a lot of attention from their owners and have a tendency to chew on or suck on objects, such as fabric and the fingers of their owners; this can lead them to accidentally ingest objects such as tennis balls. Agile and playful, pet ocelots can be troublesome to keep due to their habit of leaping around and potentially damaging objects; ocelots may unintentionally injure their owners with bites. Nevertheless, carefully raised ocelots can be highly affectionate.<ref name="pewa">{{cite web |last1=Stinner |first1=M. |title=Care Sheet – Ocelot |url=http://www.phoenixexotics.org/caresheet/ocelot |publisher=Phoenix Exotic Wildlife Association |access-date=24 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190911011052/http://www.phoenixexotics.org/CareSheet/Ocelot |archive-date=2019-09-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Painter [[Salvador Dalí]] kept a pet ocelot named [[Babou (ocelot)|Babou]] that was seen with him at many places he visited, including a voyage aboard [[SS France (1961)|SS ''France'']]. When one of the diners at a New York restaurant was alarmed by his ocelot, Dali told her that it was a common domestic [[cat]] that he had "painted over in an [[op art]] design".<ref>{{cite book |last1=De Burca |first1=J. |title=Salvador Dalí at Home |date=2018 |publisher=White Lion Publishing |location=London |isbn=978-0-7112-3943-2 |page=113|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1gZxDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA113}}</ref><ref name = am>{{cite web |last1=Woodward |first1=D. |title=Salvador Dalí's ocelot |url=https://www.anothermag.com/design-living/2472/salvador-dalis-ocelot |website=[[Another Magazine]] |access-date=20 December 2019 |date=2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=11 surreal facts about Salvador Dalí |date=2014 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/art/artists/surreal-facts-salvador-dali/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/art/artists/surreal-facts-salvador-dali/ |archive-date=2022-01-11 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=20 December 2019 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=McNamee |first1=T. |title=The Man who Changed the Way we Eat: Craig Claiborne and the American Food Renaissance |date=2013 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |location=New York |isbn=978-1-4516-9844-2 |page=142 |edition=First |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BVFEiN4Re7kC&pg=PA142}}</ref> Opera singer [[Lily Pons]] and musician [[Gram Parsons]] are also known to have kept ocelots.<ref name = am /><ref>{{cite news |author=Twomey, B. |year=2015 |title=Met opera's Lily Pons leaves pet at Bronx Zoo |newspaper=[[Bronx Times-Reporter]] p. 48}}</ref>

<gallery widths="200" heights="200">
File:Ocelot-shaped bottle-MEG ETHAM 014143-IMG 2372-gradient.jpg|[[Moche culture|Moche]] ceramic bottle in the shape of an ocelot, [[Musée d'ethnographie de Genève]], [[Switzerland]]
File:Salvador Dali NYWTS.jpg|[[Salvador Dalí]] with his pet ocelot [[Babou (ocelot)|Babou]]
</gallery>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Leopardus pardalis}}
{{Wikispecies|Leopardus pardalis}}
{{Wiktionary|ocelot}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.catsg.org/index.php?id=88 |title=Ocelot |website=IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group |access-date=2014-12-15 |archive-date=2018-05-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508055000/http://www.catsg.org/index.php?id=88 }}
* {{cite web |url=https://cites.org/eng/node/22493 |website=CITES |title=''Leopardus pardalis'' |access-date=2019-12-15 |archive-date=2019-12-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191215115636/https://cites.org/eng/node/22493 }}
* {{ITIS|id=552470|taxon=''Leopardus pardalis''}}
* {{cite web |url=http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/ocelot/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100115213033/http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/ocelot/ |archive-date=January 15, 2010 |website=National Geographic Society |title=Ocelot|date=2010-11-11 }}
* {{cite web |title=''Leopardus'' ID: ocelot, margay, oncilla |date=30 June 2013 |url=https://wildcatconservation.org/wild-cats/south-america/leopardus-id-ocelot-margay-oncilla/ |publisher=International Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC) Canada |access-date=24 December 2019}}
* {{cite web |title=Ocelot |url=https://buffalozoo.org/animal/ocelot/ |website=Buffalo Zoo |access-date=24 December 2019}}
* [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/science/ocelots-opossums-friends-video.html Videos From the Amazon Reveal an Unexpected Animal Friendship]. Ocelots and opossums, usually predator and prey, were filmed hanging out together. [[New York Times]], July 15, 2025

{{Carnivora|Fe.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q33261}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Leopardus]]
[[Category:Felids of Central America]]
[[Category:Felids of North America]]
[[Category:Felids of South America]]
[[Category:Mammals of the Caribbean]]
[[Category:Mammals of Argentina]]
[[Category:Mammals of Bolivia]]
[[Category:Carnivorans of Brazil]]
[[Category:Mammals of Colombia]]
[[Category:Mammals of Ecuador]]
[[Category:Mammals of French Guiana]]
[[Category:Mammals of Guyana]]
[[Category:Mammals of Mexico]]
[[Category:Mammals of Paraguay]]
[[Category:Mammals of Peru]]
[[Category:Mammals of Suriname]]
[[Category:Mammals of Trinidad and Tobago]]
[[Category:Mammals of Uruguay]]
[[Category:Mammals of Venezuela]]
[[Category:Mammals of the United States]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Southwestern United States]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Amazon]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Caatinga]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Pantanal]]
[[Category:ESA endangered species]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1758]]
[[Category:Animal taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]
[[Category:Species that are or were threatened by use in wearables]]
[[Category:Species that are or were threatened by agricultural development]]
[[Category:Species that are or were threatened by collisions with vehicles]]
[[Category:Species that are or were threatened by habitat fragmentation]]
[[Category:Species that are or were threatened by the pet trade]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]