FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
If reading about unique mammals is your hobby, you would love to read about the ocelot cat. Ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) are wild cats who are carnivores; they have a golden fur coat but black spots all over them. Ocelots can be found in the wildlife ranges of southwestern United States, Central America, and South America. They are primarily distinguished in the wildlife by the solid black spots, streaky coats, round eats, and white undersides and neck. Ocelots males are bigger than their female counterparts, aside from being quick and agile, ocelots are great hunters as they are experts at leaping, climbing, and swimming. Ocelots are incredibly hostile and territorial. They view each other as threats and are ready to fight! The only time they will tolerate other ocelots is during mating season. Ocelots sexually mature at the age of two years, and after a gestation period of 2-3 months, the female gives birth to two to three kittens. Males are bigger, stronger, and faster than females and are often solitary.
The threats to the ocelot population and their habitat in the wildlife are mainly human causes like deforestation. They are active during twilight and night and prey on smaller creatures like armadillos, rabbits, rodents, iguanas, and so on. Ocelots aren't good companions or pets as they are aggressive and hostile, but in some cases, they have been occasionally kept as pets. Ocelots are categorized under the Least Endangered species by the IUCN Red List.
An ocelot is a medium-sized cat found in the wildlife, with dark spots on their coats, long ringed tails, and round ears. On their cheeks, they have two stripes and a stripe that goes from the top of the eyes and over the head.
Ocelots belong to the Mammal class and the order Carnivora. The scientific name of these spotted mammals is Leopardus pardalis.
The ocelot population is estimated to be around 800,000 to 1.5 million throughout the Western Hemisphere. However, in the U.S., fewer than 60 of these spotted mammals can be found living in southeast Texas.
Ocelots prefer areas with dense vegetation to use as cover to protect themselves and accessible hunting grounds with high prey availability with close proximity to water sources.
Throughout their vast range, ocelots have a variety of habitats over the world. They live in mangroves, high altitude cloud forests and are likely to be more commonly found in dense vegetative areas like the canopies of rain forests in South America, especially in areas like Northern Argentina and Northern Peru. They also inhabit brushlands and can be found as far in the north as Texas in the U.S. They prefer dense vegetative areas because of the habitat's ability to hide them from predators and to use them as cover for hunting prey. In the human population or other disturbed areas, they can be found using shrubs, and trees alongside water bodies to use as a cover for protection.
Ocelots are also solitary wild cats, which means they live alone their entire life. Spending most of their time on trees is the natural pastime for these spotted mammals.
In the wild, ocelots have a lifespan ranging from 8-11 years. Whereas in captivity, like a zoo, they can live up to 20 years!
Male and females gather only during the mating seasons. In temperate climates, ocelots mate at the end of the summer, whereas in tropical areas they reproduce throughout the whole year. Female ocelots have a gestation period of anything from between 79–82 days. The average litter size is two to three kittens. Breeding ocelots in captivity is an immense task!
As of 2021, these wild cats are identified as Least Endangered species by the ICUN Red List.
Ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) are small, but twice the size of housecats, they have distinctive markings in a wide variety of patterns, with orange, tan, and white coats with dark spots.
Ocelots are twice the size of a house cat, but they are cats! And cats are cute even if they're a bit bigger! Their big eyes, long ringed tail, soft fur are the distinctive features that make them super cute!
Ocelots communicate with each other using scent-marking, body language, and a variety of vocalizations. Stiff legs, tail held straight down, and an arched back are the signs of a threatening posture.
Ocelots are two times larger in size than the common house cat species. They can grow from anywhere between 28.74-39.37 in.
Ocelots are quick, agile, and can run at a speed of up to 38 mph.
Since ocelots are medium-sized, adult ocelots weigh between 17.63-34.17 lb.
Male ocelots are called torns and females are called queens.
Baby ocelots are called kittens. Females usually give birth to two to three kittens when they reproduce.
Ocelots eat rodents, iguanas, frogs, rabbits, and fish. In some cases, they are known to stalk monkeys and birds and hunt them as food. Their diet also consists of the meat of young deer, snakes, lizards, and fish. They have pointed fangs and sharp teeth that tear food like scissors. They tear their food to pieces and swallow them whole since they do not have teeth appropriate for chewing.
Ocelots may be slobbery in cases of an extreme sense of relaxation. These spotted creatures usually sweat but from their paws and might leave paw prints in cases of extremely stressful situations.
Ocelots are wild and aggressive species with a strict diet and need for meat, hence they wouldn't make for good pets. But in some cases, there have been documentations of ocelots kept as pets. Famous Spanish painter Salvador Dali had a pet ocelot. But it is commonly advised not to keep wild animals as pets as they can be unpredictable and dangerous.
Compared to other cat species, ocelots kittens grow quite slowly, they start to explore their habitat at three months and remain with their mother for up to two years before seeking out new a habitat to establish as their territory.
The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) lists 10 subspecies of ocelots. Due to complexities in molecular analysis, the taxonomy of ocelots is under review.
In zoos, ocelots live up to 20 years whereas, in the wild, ocelots live only 7-10 years. Ocelots are just like a house cat in their behavior, which means they laze around all day and are active at night when they hunt! The ancient Peruvian Moche people worshipped ocelots and often depicted them in their art.
Unlike their cousins, the smaller house cats, ocelots love to swim! They hunt for fish and other marine animals in rivers, and lakes.
Bigger cats like Jaguars and Pumas hunt ocelots and their kittens. Anacondas and Harpy eagles also hunt ocelots. Ocelots are active for 12 hours a day at least and travel distances of up to seven miles in that time, males generally covering twice the distance than females.
Ocelots and humans do not have positive interactions as the primary threat to ocelots is their destruction of habitat and deforestation caused by humans.
Ocelots are extremely territorial and have a territory that ranges from 2.4-56 square miles. Often they will fight to the death to keep a hold of their territory.
Free-roaming cats like ocelots pose small but important threats to human health. Diseases like rabies are often caused by the bites of these animals. They also carry harmful microbes and parasites in them like Toxoplasma gondii and Microsporum canis, which can be toxic to humans. Because of these issues, it is said that any human injury caused by feral cats should be handle with proper precautions.
In the United States of America, the sale of these spotted cats is banned almost all over the country. But buying ocelots is legal in the states of Alabama, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Wisconsin as they have no laws against owning big cats as pets. If one was to buy an ocelot kitten, it'd cost them a huge amount of money, almost as high as $15,000.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our ocelot coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising.
We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.
We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
Was this article helpful?
We’ll send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out.
Check your inbox for your latest news from us. You have subscribed to:
Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter.