Interest facts about the Ocelot
The ocelot may look like a large house cat but do not mistake it for its domesticated relative, however this cat is actually a wildcat, being about twice the size of a house cat on average. The word ocelot originates from the word “tlalocelot” which is an Aztec word that translates to field tiger.
They are also referred to as painted leopards and dwarf leopards, however in real fact they are more closely related to the small cats as compared to tigers and leopards. They have a unique pattern with dark spots on their coats.
One characteristic that sets this cat apart from other cats is that the ocelot does not avoid water and it is actually a good swimmer. With teeth that are not designed for chewing, the ocelot
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A female’s territory can be up to 70 square kilometers in size.
The only country in South America that does not have ocelots is Chile.
Characteristics of the Ocelot
The ocelot’s coat has a variety of patterns, however just like the human finger print, each coat pattern is unique to each ocelot. The coat itself may either be orange, tan or white in color. The scientific name is Leopardus pardalis, with similar physical proportions as the bobcat. There are 10 subspecies that have been identified, occupying different areas of South America.
The length of the ocelot from head to the hind legs is between 50 centimeters and 1 meter in length. On average this cat weighs about 16 kilograms although occasionally there are some that grow to be larger and heavier than these. The length of the tail varies from 10 to 18 inches. It is however shorter than the hind legs and either ringed or striped.
The fur is short, with a creamy, yellowish, reddish grey, tawny or gray coloration but the underside is white. The markings on the coat may be in the form of closed bands, open bands or stripes. The stripes are usually on the back and cheeks while the limbs and the head has small