It is the only cat species that can climb down a tree head first like a squirrel. May I use graphics from mongabay.com for my projects? The margay is rated ‘Near Threatened‘ by the IUCN. Female gives birth every two years, litter size is small and mortality of babies is very high (50%). They use scent to mark their territory (urine spraying) and leave scratch marks on the ground or on branches. Until the 1990s, margays were hunted illegally for the wildlife trade, which resulted in a large population decrease.
Emily on June 3, 2014 at 3:31 am said: Can u reply. [4] It eats small mammals (sometimes including monkeys), birds, eggs, lizards and tree frogs. Active Wild Pinterest Active Wild Facebook. Individuals mark their home range by scratching the ground and branches, as well as by urinating. A typical margay home range varies in size from 11 to 16km2 (4.2 to 6.2mi2). Scientists believe that margay should be listed as vulnerable because of the accelerated habitat loss and extensive hunting.
Last modified date July 5, 2020. Published date July 29, 2020. Mongabay is the world's most popular source for information on tropical forests. They are active at night, searching through the branches for food, which ranges from small tree-dwelling mammals, such as marmosets, to insects and fruit.
Margays are solitary creatures. Since the margay naturally occurs at very low population densities, produces very few young (which themselves have a low survival rate), and has a population which is severely fragmented, it is expected that the species will keep declining. Margay prefers life in rainforests, deciduous and evergreen forests, but it can be also spotted near the coffee and cocoa plantations.
[6] However, they do sometimes hunt on the ground, and have been reported to eat cane rats and guinea pigs. Margay's fur can be grayish to cinnamon in color. new Creature Feature is posted? They are found almost exclusively in areas of dense forest, ranging from tropical evergreen forest to tropical dry forest and high cloud forest. The female may be in oestrus (ready to mate) for 4 to 10 days every 32 to 36 days. Are you inspired by endangered animals? This page was last changed on 15 May 2014, at 03:35. Like most other cat species, the margay is solitary and spends most of its life alone. The margay is one of only two cat species with ankles flexible enough to climb head-first down trees. [10], Although once thought to be vulnerable to extinction, the IUCN now lists it as only "near threatened".
Leatherback Sea Turtle Leatherback sea turtles have been around since pre-historic times.
The margay may breed any time of the year. Despite its agility as a climber, the margay is more likely to hunt and travel on the ground. They are small, spotted cats, which bear a great deal of similarity with ocelots. This cat is listed as an endangered animal, though the status of its population throughout its range from Mexico to Argentina is unknown. The margay is mainly nocturnal, but is also active in the day, preferring to spend much of its time in the trees. [5] The margay is able to hunt its prey entirely in trees. [7], There is a report of a margay using sound mimicry to lure a prey. It is estimated that more than 14 000 margays is killed each year because of the fur. [7] The margay can also dangle from a branch holding on with just one hind foot, while manipulating an object with its front paws. Check out our The Margay (Leopardus wiedii) is a spotted cat native to the Americas. A 26-year-old margay named Carlota lives at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden as of April 2018. Click the picture above for more details & to view free sample pages! Most notably the margay is a much more skilful climber than its relative, and it is sometimes called the tree ocelot because of this ability. Comments: 0 (Last Updated On: July 5, 2020) The margay, scientific name Leopardus wiedii is a small wild cat native to Central and South America. Adults range from 18.2 to 31 inches in length and weigh between 5.73 and 8.6 lb. It hunts at night and tends to spend the day in the trees, resting high up in the branches and in tangles of lianas (vines). By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use Privacy Policy. ActiveWild.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon stores. Also, margay is able to hang from the branch by holding it with only one paw. Their vocalisations are short range: they do not call to each other over long distances.[7]. It has ten subspecies over a large geographical range from Mexico to Argentina.