Borde - The Margay

Well our injured ocelot is now back at the Sanctuary doing well after surgery... I was slightly incorrect... it is a Margay or Tree Ocelot and the primary difference is that ocelot's hunt on the ground and margay's hunt in the trees. The below pictures are NOT of our injured friend, now named Borde -- Spanish for Edge... Since it certainly is living on the edge. Convalescing now, release is dependent on vision in left eye.

The Margay (Leopardus wiedii) is a spotted cat native to Central and South America. Named for Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied, it is a solitary and nocturnal animal that prefers remote sections of the rainforest. Although it was once believed to be vulnerable to extinction, the IUCN now lists it as "Least Concern". It roams the rainforests from Mexico to Argentina.

Physical characteristics

The Margay can weigh about 3 to 9 kg (6.6–20 lbs), have a body length of 45 to 80 cm (18 to 32 in) and a tail length of 33 to 51 cm (13 to 20 in). It is very similar to the larger Ocelot, although the head is a bit shorter, the tail and legs are longer, and the spotted pattern on the tail is different. Most notably the Margay is a much more skillful climber than its relative, and it is sometimes called the Tree Ocelot because of this skill. Whereas the Ocelot mostly pursues prey on the ground, the Margay may spend its entire life in the trees, leaping after and chasing birds and monkeys through the treetops. Indeed, it is one of only two cat species with the ankle flexibility necessary to climb head-first down trees (the other being the Clouded Leopard). Its ankles can turn up to 180 degrees, it can grasp branches equally well with its fore and hind paws, and it is able to jump considerable distances. The Margay has been observed to hang from branches with only one foot.

Margay

Margay in Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Carnivora
Family:
Felidae
Genus:
Leopardus
Species:
L. wiedii
Binomial name
Leopardus wiedii(Schinz, 1821)

Margay range map
Synonyms
Felis wiedii