Stats

Lifespan: 10-20 yrs
Size: Small
Diet: Carnivore
Activity: Nocturnal
Social: Solitary
Biome: Tropical rainforest
Range: Central and South America
Movement: Climbing
Breeding: Live Birth
Defense: Camouflage
Status: Near Threatened

About

The margay is a small spotted wild cat of Central and South American rainforests, renowned for its extraordinary agility in the treetops. It can rotate its hind ankles 180°, allowing it to descend tree trunks head-first — a feat shared with only a handful of mammals.

Life cycle

1.
newborn cub
A blind, helpless cub nurses constantly and depends on its mother for warmth and protection.
2.
juvenile
A lanky young cat learns to stalk and pounce, following adults to practice hunting.
3.
adult
Fully grown, holding territory and hunting on its own.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Leopardus
Species: Leopardus wiedii