CAT FAMILY 



153 



If one talks with hunters or ranchmen about 

 Ocelots, the probability is that they will refer to 

 them as Leopard Cats or Spotted Cats, either of 

 which is by no means a bad designation for 

 them. Ocelots are about the size of the Wild 

 Cat. or Lynx, though of somewhat different 

 build, and with a long tail. They get their name 

 of Leopard Cats, from their beautifully marked 

 fur, resembling in color that of the Leopard ; but, 

 instead of being spotted, it is covered with hori 

 zontal stripes and bands of black. There is great 

 variety in the marking and coloration of this 

 beautiful animal, so much indeed that Dr. Elliot 

 savs: " To varv from each other in the hue and 



of lambs, young pigs, and kids, Ocelots thus 

 cause much damage to the ranchmen. They are 

 believed to kill turkeys and fawns also, and what 

 they can not eat at the time they will hide under 

 a heap of leaves. 



Occasionally, while hunting for other game, 

 the dogs will tree an Ocelot. Mr. Howard 

 Lacey, a Texas naturalist, narrates an experience 

 of this kind : " At the head of the Frio river, 

 the hounds struck a hot trail and were just 

 beginning to get of? well together when a splen- 

 did male Ocelot sprang into a large cedar close 

 to us. Thinking the hounds might be on a bear 

 trail, I shot the Cat at once, put him behind me 



By permission of the New York Zoological Society 



OCELOT 



Like most of the Cat tribe, the Ocelot prefers the night to the day, and may seldom be seen abroad until 



after sundown 



arrangement of the spots and stripes of their 

 coats seems to be one of the chief efforts of the 

 existence of these Cats, and, as if not content 

 with differing from his fellows, an Ocelot usually 

 succeeds in exhibiting a distinct pattern on each 

 of his sides, so that he may be said to differ 

 from himself." 



Formerly the Ocelot was seen in Louisiana and 

 .\rkansas. but it is doubtful whether it is now to 

 be found in the United States beyond the bound- 

 aries of the State of Texas. It prefers brushy 

 and timbered country, is an excellent climber, 

 and in its native haunts will spend hours on the 

 lower limbs of trees waiting patiently and watch- 

 ing intently for its prey. Being especially fond 

 II 



on the saddle, and made after the hounds, that 

 were getting off at a good pace. They ran about 

 two miles and then treed a female Ocelot in the 

 bottom of a steep canyon. I think the two were 

 together when we started them, and that they 

 often go in pairs. They are not common here, 

 but I fancy that they often rest in trees and so 

 escape the dogs. They are heavier and more 

 muscular than the Bobcat, and our hounds, that 

 always make short work of a Bobcat, find the 

 Leopard Cat a tough proposition. Unlike the 

 Bobcat, they have the strong odor peculiar to the 

 larger felines, and I never killed one without 

 being reminded of the Lion house at the London 

 Zoo." 



