# Ocelot — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Leopardus pardalis (Linnaeus, 1758)*

> The ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) is a spotted wild cat of the Americas, listed as Least Concern by the IUCN but declining locally due to habitat loss and historical over-trapping; a small population persists in southern Texas.

**IUCN status:** Least Concern (IUCN, 2014)  ·  **WARN range:** Mexico, Central America, South America, Southern Texas, Trinidad

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Weight | 11–16 kg |
| Coat | Golden with black rosettes and spots |
| Activity | Mainly nocturnal |
| Diet | Rodents, birds, reptiles, small deer |
| Lifespan | Up to ~20 years in captivity; ~10–13 in the wild |
| CITES | Appendix I — commercial trade banned |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Carnivora
- **Family:** Felidae
- **Genus:** Leopardus
- **Species:** Leopardus pardalis (Linnaeus, 1758)

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Least Concern globally (IUCN, 2014) but decreasing locally. Texas population Endangered under US Endangered Species Act.
- **Population:** No global estimate; Texas population fewer than 100 individuals
- **Trend:** Decreasing in many areas; stable where large forest blocks remain
- **Assessed:** 2014
- **CITES:** Appendix I

## Key facts: Ocelot
- Ocelots are medium-sized spotted cats native to the Neotropics and southern Texas.
- Their coat was once the most traded cat fur in the world — CITES now bans commercial trade.
- Ocelots are mainly nocturnal forest hunters, feeding on small to medium prey.
- Habitat loss from agriculture and roads is the main current threat.
- Texas ocelots number fewer than 100 — among the rarest mammals in the United States.
- Ocelots were once kept as pets by Salvador Dalí — they are poor domestic companions.

## Appearance and identification
Ocelots have a golden to grey coat marked with black rosettes, spots and stripes — each pattern unique, like a fingerprint. They are twice the size of a domestic cat, with a long tail, rounded ears and large front paws.

The margay and oncilla are smaller spotted relatives; jaguars and jaguarundis share their range but differ in size and build. In Texas, ocelots are associated with thornscrub and coastal brush — habitat that has shrunk dramatically. Camera-trap studies show ocelots using dense cover corridors to move between remnant patches.

## Ecology and behaviour
Ocelots are solitary and territorial. Males patrol ranges of roughly 3–30 km² depending on prey density; female ranges are smaller and may overlap. They hunt mainly on the ground but climb well when pursuing monkeys or birds.

Diet includes rodents, rabbits, iguanas, fish, crabs and occasional deer fawns. Ocelots are adaptable — found from sea level to 3,000 m elevation — but depend on dense cover for ambush hunting. Females den in hollow trees or caves, raising one to three kittens.

## History of the fur trade
From the 1960s to the 1980s, ocelot pelts were among the most valuable in the international fur trade. Annual exports from Latin America exceeded 100,000 skins at the peak. CITES listed the ocelot on Appendix I in 1975, banning commercial international trade. Domestic laws in range countries further restricted hunting. Populations partially recovered where forest remained, but the legacy of trapping combined with ongoing habitat loss keeps many regional populations vulnerable. Vintage ocelot coats still appear in illegal trade.

## Conservation today
The IUCN lists the ocelot as Least Concern globally, but notes a decreasing trend in parts of its range. The Texas population is Endangered under US law, with fewer than 100 individuals isolated by highways and development. Protected areas and wildlife crossings are critical for its survival. Across Latin America, deforestation for cattle ranching and soy expansion removes the forest cover ocelots require. CITES Appendix I protection remains essential. Connecting forest fragments and enforcing anti-trafficking law are the most effective conservation measures.

## Related WARN guides
Ocelots are Neotropical spotted cats — read WARN's jaguar guide for the apex forest predator, cougar page for American pumas, and clouded leopard guide for Asian forest felids.

WARN works in Brazil and Colombia — core ocelot range countries.

Habitat corridors and anti-fur-trade enforcement protect remaining ocelot populations.

## What WARN does
WARN publishes this ocelot guide as free public education. Our work in Brazil and Colombia overlaps ocelot range, where habitat protection and anti-trafficking enforcement benefit spotted cats alongside the flagship species we fund directly.

If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.

## Frequently asked questions: Ocelot
### Where do ocelots live?
Ocelots range from southern Texas and Mexico through Central America to northern Argentina. They inhabit tropical forest, thornscrub, mangroves and savanna woodland wherever dense cover and prey exist.

### Are ocelots endangered?
Globally Least Concern, but declining in many areas. The Texas population is Endangered under US law with fewer than 100 individuals. CITES Appendix I bans commercial international trade.

### Can you keep an ocelot as a pet?
Ocelots are wild animals with specialist needs — large territories, nocturnal hunting behaviour and strong territorial scent marking. Private ownership is restricted in most countries. Salvador Dalí famously kept ocelots, but welfare experts advise against it.

### What is the difference between an ocelot and a leopard?
Ocelots are smaller (11–16 kg), native to the Americas, and belong to the genus Leopardus. Leopards are much larger (30–90 kg), native to Africa and Asia, and belong to Panthera. Both have spotted coats but are unrelated.

### What do ocelots eat?
Ocelots eat rodents, rabbits, birds, reptiles, fish, crabs and occasionally small deer. They hunt mainly at night, using cover to ambush prey on the forest floor.

### Why were ocelots hunted?
Their beautiful spotted coat made ocelot fur highly valued in the mid-twentieth century. Millions of pelts were exported before CITES banned commercial trade in 1975. Populations partially recovered where habitat remained.

## Sources
- [IUCN Red List — Leopardus pardalis](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/11509/50692881)
- [CITES — Checklist of CITES Species](https://checklist.cites.org/)
- [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — ocelot](https://www.fws.gov/species/ocelot-leopardus-pardalis)

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Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/ocelot