Margay (Leopardus wiedii)
The Margay, is one of the eight wild cats in the Leopardus family of cats, also known as the Ocelot family of cats. (Update: there are now thirteen Leopardus cats according to taxonomy changes since the last official Felidae classification in 2017.) The small spotted cats of the Leopardus family are distributed throughout Central and South America.
The agile, aboreal Margay is also known as a tree ocelot and inhabits the dense forests of Latin America. Its adaptations such as flexible joints and a long tail enable it to travel along the tree tops like a monkey.
Similar in markings to the Ocelot, the Margay was once heavily exploited for the fur trade, but more recently deforestation of its primary habitat has become the biggest threat to this cat’s survival.
Small Wild Cats Audio – Coat Color
Listen to a short audio taken from a chapter in the book Small Wild Cats by well-known small cat conservationist Jim (James) Sanderson of SWCCF. Jim has been instrumental in setting up working groups to help protect the smaller cats of Latin America and elsewhere around the globe.
This excerpt covers how small wild cats like the Margay get their coat color and what causes black coats.
546 Observations of Margays on iNaturalist
There are currently 546 sightings of Margays on iNaturalist, sadly many are of roadkill.
iNaturalist is a global platform for the public to upload images of wild creatures they have seen in nature. If you have any photos of natural biodiversity from your travels, be sure to open an account and upload your images. Identification is verified by other members and the data can be used in future research. A great way to contribute to conservation and research!
Note there are images of dead animals in case you are a sensitive viewer.
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