OCELOT 



Felis pardalis Linnaeus 



KINGDOM Animalia 



CLASS Mammalia 



ORDER Carnivora 



FAMILY Felidae 



OTHER COMMON 



NAMES leopard cat, ocelote, tiger cat, 



tigrUIo 



DATE 



Entered into SWIS to be determined 



Updates 31 May 1978 



LEGAL STATUS 



Federal: Endangered (non-U. S. populations 



only) (44FR43705, 25 July 1979). 

 States: Endangered: Massachusetts, Texas. 



REASONS FOR CURRENT STATUS 



Habitat destruction and degradation from 

 brush-clearing operations are primarily responsible 

 for the ocelot's population status (Culbertson 

 and Schmidly 1974, Davis 1974). Population de- 

 clines are also affected by predator control activi- 

 ties and persecution. Serious population declines in 

 Central and South America are due to pet and fur 

 trade exploitation (lUCN 1972, Paradiso 1972). 



PRIORITY INDEX 



Not assigned. 



DESCRIPTION 



Medium-sized (0.8 to 1.2 m long) spotted cat 

 wdth moderately long tail. Females average smaller 

 than males. Ground color is grayish to cinnamon 

 dorsally, paler on sides; underparts and inside of 

 limbs are whitish; dark markings form streaks that 



