Description
Size: Male ocelots are heavier than female ocelots, weighing 15 to 34 pounds compared to 14.5 to 25 pounds for females.
The medium-sized spotted ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) has a creamy, tawny, yellowish, reddish grey, or grey base colour with extensive solid black markings. Small spots are present on the head and limbs, but open or closed bands and stripes are present on the back, cheeks, and flanks. Straight from the nape of the neck to the end of the tail, a few dark stripes run. Its legs’ interiors are marked with a few horizontal streaks, and its neck and undersides are also white. It has a brilliant white patch on each of its round ears.
Behavior
The ocelot is typically solitary and is most active at dusk and at night. The Cocha Cashu Biological Station in Peru’s radio collared individuals slept during the day and started moving around in the late afternoon. They wandered for between 3.2 and 17 hours till dawn before returning to their burrows.
It naps throughout the afternoon on trees, in dens beneath huge trees, or in other cool, protected places on the ground. It can climb and leap with agility, and it can even hop on trees to get away from predators. It is a proficient swimmer as well.
Origin and History
The ocelot can be found between the southwest of the United States and northern Argentina, at altitudes of up to 3,000 metres (9,800 feet). It is extinct in Louisiana and Arkansas but still exists in Texas and Arizona in the United States. In particular, the Reddick Fossil Site in Florida is where ocelot fossils were discovered. It lives in savannas, mangrove swamps, tropical forests, and forests of thorns.
As Pet
Care
Ocelots differ from domestic cat breeds in many ways, including temperament, but they also require different care. Ocelots in the wild have large home ranges. They will therefore require a lot of space in captivity. Additionally, most houses won’t have the area an ocelot actually need. Therefore, you’ll also need to take them outside daily. To avoid losing them, you’ll need to do this in a secure confined space or while your ocelot is on a leash.
Ocelots have the ability to climb and burrow under fences. Therefore, they will have no trouble leaving their typical garden. The ideal environment for them would be a sizable enclosure with lots of space for natural activity like running, climbing, jumping, and pacing.
Exercise and Enrichment
Platforms and climbable poles are favorites of ocelots. They enjoy water more than most domestic cats do, and will gladly dive below the surface to retrieve toys.
Diet
Dietary requirements for ocelots are comparable to those of other small cats. In the wild, they consume anything they can catch, including small rodents, birds, and fish. To stay healthy, they require a balanced diet. They require an equal amount of muscle and organ meats, as well as lots of taurine and calcium, just like all other cats.
Table
