This week in interesting animals… The Margay.
The Margay is a small cat of the species, Leopardus wiedii. It is native to both Central and South America where it makes its home in primary evergreen or deciduous forests on those continents.
In appearance, it is similar in appearance to the popularly known ocelot; with brown fur, marked with numerous rows of dark brown or black rosettes and longitudinal streaks. Their undersides are paler, ranging from buff to white while their tails have numerous dark bands and end in a black tip. Unlike the ocelot though, the margay has a shorter head with larger eyes and longer tails and legs. The back of their ears are black with circular white markings in the centre.
Typically, a margay can weigh as much as 4kg and can reach a length of 76cm not including their tails which can be as longs as 51cm. One strange thing about the margay is that unlike most cats, the females only possess two teats and so would only usually birth very small numbers of cubs after 80 days of gestation.
Margays are naturally rare, putting them in the “Near Threatened” category on the Conservation Status. They are nocturnal animals that hunt almost always in the dark. Their diets consist of small mammals, birds, eggs, lizards, tree frogs, as well as grass and other vegetation that aid in digestion.
Rest assured, if you want to see one or a few, you don’t need to spend you nights in any rain forest. A simple trip to the Zoological park would grant you the opportunity to catch a glimpse of these beautiful animals.
