Medium‑sized spotted cat with a sleek, elongated body and relatively short, ring‑banded tail. Pelage is yellow‑ochre to grey buff, overlaid by elongate black blotches and open rosettes that run in parallel chains along the flanks; ventrum is whitish with dark spots. Distinctive facial markings include two black cheek stripes and a white orbital ring. Adults measure 70–100 cm head–body, tail 26–45 cm, and stand 40–50 cm at the shoulder; males weigh 11–16 kg, females 8–12 kg. Limbs are stout with large padded paws adapted for climbing. Kittens bear darker, denser spotting that fades by ~12 months.
males ~20 % heavier with broader skulls; females more gracile.
Head–body 70–100 cm; tail 26–45 cm; shoulder height 40–50 cm
Males 11–16 kg; females 8–12 kg
10–13 yr wild; up to 20 yr captivity
Data deficient
Data deficient
≈ 18–24 mo
Aseasonal in tropics; births peak Feb–May
1–3 kittens /litter (mean 2); litters every 20–30 mo
Medium‑sized spotted cat with a sleek, elongated body and relatively short, ring‑banded tail. Pelage is yellow‑ochre to grey buff, overlaid by elongate black blotches and open rosettes that run in parallel chains along the flanks; ventrum is whitish with dark spots. Distinctive facial markings include two black cheek stripes and a white orbital ring. Adults measure 70–100 cm head–body, tail 26–45 cm, and stand 40–50 cm at the shoulder; males weigh 11–16 kg, females 8–12 kg. Limbs are stout with large padded paws adapted for climbing. Kittens bear darker, denser spotting that fades by ~12 months.
Ocelots occupy a wide mosaic of low‑ to mid‑elevation habitats—humid evergreen rain forest, seasonally dry deciduous forest, mangroves, swamp forest, and even shaded cacao or teak plantations—provided there is dense understory cover, abundant small–medium prey and access to permanent water. They avoid open pasture but readily use hedgerows and riparian thickets as movement corridors.
Mesopredator feeding chiefly on rodents, opossums, iguanas, ground birds and occasionally armadillos; helps regulate small‑vertebrate communities.
Activity pattern: predominantly nocturnal and crepuscular; > 70 % of movements occur between 18:00 – 06:00.
Grouping: solitary except for brief courtship and 10–18‑month mother‑kitten units.
Territoriality: males maintain exclusive territories (8–25 km²) that overlap several smaller female ranges; boundaries are delineated with scrape marks, urine spraying and anal‑gland rubbing.
Mating system: polygynous–promiscuous; both sexes may mate with multiple partners across overlapping territories.
Communication: low growls, meows and “chirr” calls at close range; olfactory marks are primary long‑distance signals.
Special behaviours: adept climber—hunts roosting birds and iguanas in canopy; occasionally swims across streams; stores surplus kills in dense understory for up to 2 days.
Over 70 % of ocelot activity in Costa Rica occurs between dusk and dawn—predominantly nocturnal.
Known to swim readily and has been recorded preying on fish and crustaceans in mangroves.
Possesses keen binocular vision with a reflective tapetum lucidum twice as efficient as that of domestic cats.
Pre‑Columbian Chorotega ceramics frequently depict ocelot motifs symbolising stealth and agility.
Genetic studies show Costa‑Rican ocelots have higher diversity than the country’s jaguars and pumas.
Native
Increasing
