The Ocelot
Upon arriving to the zoo, I had a general idea of what animal I wanted to write about. As it turns out, I came across a very cute animal that caught my eye. It was very small, and it resembled a house cat, but also, it was wild. The Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) is the adorable animal that immediately grabbed my attention at the zoo. This animal looked only a few months old, it seemed very shy, but would bite if you approached it wrong. The ocelot likes solidarity and usually rests in trees during the day, upon being active at night. Very intriguing to observe, the ocelot is quite the animal.
Ranging from light yellow to reddish gray with dark spots and stripes, the ocelot is also nicknamed the “dwarf leopard”. Similar to the Margay and the Oncilla, the Ocelot is larger, but much smaller than other wild cats (leopards, panthers, tigers etc.). Fully grown, the ocelot weighs eighteen to forty pounds. Ocelots are nocturnal and territorial, and typically mate once a year. As a baby, the ocelot is blind for fifteen to eighteen days and will stay with its mother for up to two years. These creatures can be found in Mexico, Central and South America to Northern Argentina, and mostly in Texas. One can also find an ocelot creeping in tropical rainforests and grasslands.
The Ocelot’s average lifespan is ten to thirty years. However, in captivity, the ocelot can live for up to twenty years. Having a wide range of foods to eat, the Ocelot’s appetite includes: frogs, lizards, fish, rabbits, and opossums. Ocelot’s have a great sense of smell and night vision. An ocelot marks its territory by urine and will fight to the death when necessary.
For a short time, Ocelots were viewed as extinct animals because of the decrease in its existence. Many people would kill ocelots just for their fur. But as time has passed, the existence of the ocelot population grew and this soon became the least of anyone’s worries.
Although it is not wise to have a wild animal as a pet, that did not stop the famous artist Salvador Dalí. Dalí (pictured left) acquired a pet ocelot and named him Babou. In ancient Peru, the Moche people would depict ocelots in their art. Ocelots are very unique animals and are very eye-catching. I would say they are “wild” housecats who could be admired from a far, personally I would not have an ocelot as a pet, but I would love to hold one someday.
Ranging from light yellow to reddish gray with dark spots and stripes, the ocelot is also nicknamed the “dwarf leopard”. Similar to the Margay and the Oncilla, the Ocelot is larger, but much smaller than other wild cats (leopards, panthers, tigers etc.). Fully grown, the ocelot weighs eighteen to forty pounds. Ocelots are nocturnal and territorial, and typically mate once a year. As a baby, the ocelot is blind for fifteen to eighteen days and will stay with its mother for up to two years. These creatures can be found in Mexico, Central and South America to Northern Argentina, and mostly in Texas. One can also find an ocelot creeping in tropical rainforests and grasslands.
The Ocelot’s average lifespan is ten to thirty years. However, in captivity, the ocelot can live for up to twenty years. Having a wide range of foods to eat, the Ocelot’s appetite includes: frogs, lizards, fish, rabbits, and opossums. Ocelot’s have a great sense of smell and night vision. An ocelot marks its territory by urine and will fight to the death when necessary.
For a short time, Ocelots were viewed as extinct animals because of the decrease in its existence. Many people would kill ocelots just for their fur. But as time has passed, the existence of the ocelot population grew and this soon became the least of anyone’s worries.
Although it is not wise to have a wild animal as a pet, that did not stop the famous artist Salvador Dalí. Dalí (pictured left) acquired a pet ocelot and named him Babou. In ancient Peru, the Moche people would depict ocelots in their art. Ocelots are very unique animals and are very eye-catching. I would say they are “wild” housecats who could be admired from a far, personally I would not have an ocelot as a pet, but I would love to hold one someday.