Although
the oncilla is very similar in appearance to the other small cats of the
South American Leopardus genus, the ocelot and margay, it is found at higher
elevations and is apparently not sympatric in the stronghold of the other
species’ ranges, the Amazon basin. While it may be most common in
montane cloud forest, it also has been reported from dry deciduous forest,
semi-arid thorny scrub, and degraded secondary vegetation in close proximity
to human settlement.
Zoological name: Leopardus tigrinus
Species: It is a close relative of the ocelot and the margay; its
habitat is the tropical rainforests of Central central_and South America .
The Little Spotted Cat is a nocturnal animal, which hunts for rodents and
birds.
Subspecies:
- "Leopardus tigrinus tigrinus'', eastern Venezuela ,
Guyana , northeastern Brazil.
- "Leopardus tigrinus guttulus'', central and southern
Brazil , Uruguay , Paraguay , northern Argentina.
- "Leopardus tigrinus pardinoides'', western Venezuela,
Colombia, Ecuador.
Presence on the planet: The oncilla appears to have a naturally
disjunct distribution, although further research is necessary to confirm
this. It has been recorded from Costa Rica and northern Panama, but not from
the remainder of the Darien Peninsula connecting Central America to South
America. There are no records from the Amazon basin, and the oncilla’s
range appears to be restricted to montane and subtropical forest.
Habitat: Little spotted cats are found in subtropical forests and
prefer humid evergreen and montane cloud forests 40 to 3,000m above sea
level (Mondolfi, 1986; Redford, 1992). Little spotted cats have also been
reported in semi-arid thorn scrub in northeastern Brazil, dry deciduous
forests in Venezuela, abandoned eucalyptus plantations, and areas affected
by deforestation.
Physical Description: Little spotted cats have a yellowish-red to
greyish-yellow coat with rows of large, dark rosettes and a pale underside
which is less spotted than the rest of the body. The tail has black rings
and a black tip. Totally black forms of this cat can occur. They are
slender-bodied with a slim head and round ears.
Diet: Little spotted cats feed primarily on small mammals such as rodents
as well as small birds. They have even been reported to prey on small
primates in Brazil
Reproduction & Offspring: Information on reproduction in little
spotted cats comes from mating pairs in captivity. Females undergo estrous
for several days with a gestation period of 74-78 days. Young are altricial.
A litter consists of 1-2 kittens and kittens open their eyes at about two
weeks of age. Young become sexually mature after two years of age.
Conservation status: It is difficult to assess threats to the
oncilla when so little is known about it. Its cloud forest habitat is being
lost to coffee plantations, but observations of it in deforested areas and
eucalyptus monoculture on the outskirts of Sao Paolo suggest tolerance of
habitat alteration (Nowell and Jackson 1996). The oncilla has been trapped
in the past in large numbers for the spotted cat fur trade.
Life span: 15-20 years
Unexplored wildness!
This species has never been studied in the wild, and there is little
understanding of its habitat requirements, density, and coexistence with
other small cats. It has been trapped in large numbers for the fur trade --
in 1971, 28,000 pelts were counted in Brazilian warehouses, and in 1983,
84,500 skins were exported from Paraguay although it is likely that other
spotted cat pelts were mixed with oncilla. It is rarely seen by field
biologists.
