The ocelot, Leopardus pardalis, is a medium-sized,
long-tailed cat also known as the dwarf leopard because of its resemblance to
the other awe-inspiring feline. They range in color from a light yellow to reddish
grey tones with dark spots on their body and tail, and dark stripes on their
faces. They can weigh up to 40 pounds, grow to a length of 4 ¾ feet, and can
live up to a healthy 20 years. The ocelot like most cats, are quite evasive and
operate well in the cover of night. This doesn’t mean that they are not active,
as they operate and hunt about 12 to 14 hours a day. With this dedication to
the hunt, they average one prey item for every 3.1 hours of travel. When they
are not hunting they are often seen resting in brush piles, or in between vines
or roots (ISEC). They occupy
urine marked territories that can span up to 18 square miles for males and 6
square miles for females. Ocelots live as lone felines and are not seen
interacting socially with one another very often, but when mating time comes
around litters usually from 1-3 kittens follow a 79-85 day gestation period.
Geographic
and Population Changes
Ocelots occupy a
wide range of habitats from tropical forests to thornscrub and semi-arid
vegetation to oak forests and grasslands. While ocelots were once found roaming
from Arkansas and Louisiana down through Mexico and South America, they are now
only found in the states of Arizona and Texas in the United States while still
being found in every mainland country south of the U.S. except Chile (U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service). There are
an estimated 800,000 to 1.5 million cats in these countries, but only about 30
in the United States (Defenders of Wildlife).
The Ocelot was listed
as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1972 while also receiving the
same endangered listing in Mexico. The main threat to the feline’s
survival is human population growth. This has led to habitat conversion, fragmentation
by roads and other boundaries, and overall habitat loss. In Texas alone, 95% of
dense thornscrub has been converted to agriculture or development. One of the
means of fragmentation is the border fence between the United States and
Mexico, which has hampered the ability of the Ocelot to cross national
boundaries and has restricted their prosperity. All of this has led to an
increased problem of inbreeding because of the size of populations. The
international fur and pet trade used to be a large contributor to the decrease
of the Ocelot, but illegal hunting has declined because of the ban of international
trade of cat in 1975 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service).
Description
of Recovery Plan
The goal of the
recovery plan put forth by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is to down list
the Ocelot from endangered to threatened status. They strive to see a single
population reach 150 individuals, or two or more populations with 75 individuals,
with interchange between populations. They are also trying to reach an ultimate
metapopulation of at least 1,000 for 5 consecutive years. Some of the
guidelines set forth by the U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service for recovery have
been laid out below:
1. Assessment,
protection, reconnection, and restoration of habitat to support populations in
borderlands of U.S. and Mexico.
2. Reduction of the
effects of human population growth and development.
3. Maintenance or
improvement of genetic fitness, demographic conditions, and health.
4. Assurance of
long-term viability of ocelot populations through partnerships, development of
incentives for landowners, application of existing regulations, public
education and outreach.
5. Adaptive
management monitored by USFWS and Bi-national Ocelot Recovery Team.
By following these
guides and combating some of the environmental impacts affecting the Ocelot,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service believes their goals could be met by 2085 because
of the relatively slow growth rate of Ocelot populations. This is also expected
to cost $126,117,000 in the first 6 years.
What
can you do?
Its time to get out
there folks and make sure that this beautiful creature will live on in a
healthy and virtuous world. One way to do this is to symbolically adopt an
animal in order to raise money to help save real animals in the wild. Visit a
Wildlife Action Center to send messages to government leaders, or educate
yourself on the Ocelot as well as other animals that may need your help to
continue to survive on our planet.
Other
resources
Link to adopt a ocelot
Another informative blog about the Ocelot
Works Cited
Https://www.facebook.com/DefendersofWildlife/. "Basic Facts About Ocelots." Defenders of Wildlife.
N.p., 14 Oct. 2016. Web. 03 Dec. 2016.
Endangered Cats (ISEC) Canada. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2016.
Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife. "No Species Profile." No Species Profile. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2016.
Service, U.s. Fish and Wildlife. "Recovery Plan For the Ocelot." (2016): n. pag. Web.