Ocelot 

Ocelot 

(Leopardus pardalis)

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By: Katryna Fogel

What is an Ocelot?

The ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) is a “medium-sized spotted cat” (USFWS) weighing 15-35 pounds as an adult, and can get up to about 4 feet long. The body is gray and cinnamon colored with spots on the head, black stripes on the cheeks, and 5 longitudinal black stripes on the neck. The body is spotted with black ears and a white underpart. The tail is dark with ring and bar-like markings. The ocelot is divided into 11 subspecies, two of which reside in the United States. These are the Texas/Tamaulipas ocelot and the Arizona/Sonora ocelot. 

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What is their habitat like?

Ocelots are linked to densely covered habitats and ample amounts of vegetation. “Lack of suitable habitat has been cited as an important reason for the endangered status of the ocelot in the US” (USFWS). In Texas, ocelots reside mostly in “dense thornscrub communities,” (USFWS) most of which has been altered for urban development. One study showed that less than one percent of Texas supports the dense thornscrub necessary for the ocelots survival.

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A study done in Peru found that ocelots generally avoid open habitats during the day, but will forage in them at night.  Texan ocelots prefer “shrub communities with more than 95 percent canopy cover and avoid areas with intermediate (50-75%) to no canopy cover” (USFWS).

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Where do Ocelots live?

According to the ocelot’s recovery plan, before the increased destruction of its habitat in the mid-1800s, their homes ranged from Arkansas through Texas and down to the Rio Grande. Now the ocelot lives in the western hemisphere, “where it is distributed from southern Texas and southern Arizona through Central and South America into northern Argentina and Uruguay" (USFWS). Its range includes 22 countries, which proves problematic when it comes to recovery planning. This is due to the fact that USFWS does not have technical jurisdiction over countries outside of the US. 

There are an estimated 800,000 to 1.5 million ocelots in existence worldwide, according to Defenders of Wildlife. In Texas alone there are two isolated populations with approximately 80 to 120 ocelots (defenders.org).

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Listing Status:

Listing: Endangered 

Date: 1982

More specifically, the Ocelot “has a recovery priority number of 5C, meaning that it has a low potential for recovery with a relatively high degree of conflict with development projects” (USFWS).

Main threats to the Ocelots and the reasons for their listing:

The original threat to the ocelot species began around the 1960s and peaked during the 1970s through the 1980s when they were hunted for the fur trade. As many as 200,000 were poached per year for their beautiful fur. Their slaughter was greatly reduced after strict regulations were set. That being said, there are still many that are illegally taken from their habitats. Overall their populations have suffered greatly.

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Additionally, as human populations grow and move into ocelot territory, their numbers are shrinking as their land is being developed for humans. This continued loss of habitat and isolation between the ocelot populations is causing low genetic diversity among the species and keeping their populations low. Habitat destruction has mostly replaced hunting as its major threat and is also now the ultimate cause and reason for the ocelot’s current listing.

Recovery strategy for the ocelot. What is it?

The current recovery strategy for the ocelot involves “the assessment, protection, reconnection, and restoration of sufficient habitat to support viable populations of the ocelot in the borderlands of the US and Mexico,” (USFWS) reducing the human population’s impact on ocelot survival, improving genetic fitness and health of the ocelot, as well as the development of incentives for landowners to abide by current regulations regarding the management and monitoring of ocelot populations. By attempting to better understand the status and conservation needs of the ocelot, we can further prevent the decline of their populations. The recovery plan also includes providing a migratory corridor between the Texas populations and the Mexico populations in order to increase the overall ocelot populations and create a wider gene pool for the species. The ultimate recovery goal for the ocelot is to restore and recover both the ocelot and its habitat for long-term results in order to ensure its sustainability and remove it from the endangered species list. 

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A five step summary of the Recovery Plan:

1. First is to create an all-inclusive model for conservation of the ocelots in the regions bordering the US and Mexico in regards to their habitats and population connectivity. 

2. Reduce the effect of the population growth and development on the ocelots, and ultimately reduce the road casualties for ocelots. 

3. Maintain and overall improve the health, gene pools and genetic diversity amongst the ocelot populations. 

4. Involve the surrounding communities in commitments, regulations, education and awareness in order to help protect the ocelots. 

5. Continue efforts to gain information and maintain populations regarding ocelots further outside the USFWS jurisdiction. 

What can you do to help?

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The best way to help save the ocelots is by donating. The Environmental Defense Fund has a plan to save the ocelots by “strengthening the genetic pool of the remaining ocelots and protecting and increasing the size of ocelot habitats” (EDF). You can donate to their cause here.

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If you are interested in “adopting” an ocelot, you can donate below through World Wildlife Fund and help fund research that will aid in saving the world’s ocelot population. Click here!

Sources: 

"3.27.15." Issuu. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2015.

"Basic Facts About Ocelots." Defenders of Wildlife. N.p., 11 Apr. 2012. Web. 05 Dec. 2015.

"Ocelot - International Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC) Canada." International Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC) Canada. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2015.

The Ocelot. Clarksville, AR: Journalism Class, Clarksville High School, 1936. Web.

"Recovery Plans Search." Endangered Species. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2015.

"World's Car Population Hits 1 Billion." The Huffington Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2015.