Essay On Ocelots

678 Words2 Pages

Ocelots are the miniature leopards of the jungle. The hundreds of thousands that populate the southern region of North America and South America are domesticated and wild. These active travelers have moved more into Central America and barely any remain in North America. Their blotched black and tan spots resemble those of a leopards which is another reason why people want to buy them. Even though there are large numbers of them, they are not well known.
The behavior of an Ocelot is very different compared to a common house cat, and similar to a wild cat like a leopard. The ocelot is nocturnal, meaning they sleep during the day and come out at night to hunt. They are also territorial and on occasions when confronted in their territory they will fight to the death. During the day they sleep in foliage or in trees, not usually they will share their same spot with each other, but when they do share their spot, it's with the same gender ocelot. To mark their territory they spray urine and sometimes spread feces. (Defenders, 2013)
Ocelots mainly live in the jungles of South America and small numbers like in the deep south of North America around southern Texas and northern Mexico. In South America they are never found in open areas, they are found in deep brush, river banks and rain forest. Illegal poaching and oil distribution are major threats the ocelots that inhabit South America. The most recent count of ocelots in Texas were thirty to thirty five. They can live in elevations reaching up to three thousand feet. (Big Cat, 2012)
An ocelot's appearance is vital to its survival. It's blotched coat helps it to camouflage in the jungle. They are called "dwarf leopards" since they look like miniature leapor...

... middle of paper ...

...se in your car. You will never be able to move with your cat because the Captive Wildlife Safety Act that says you can not cross state lines with an exotic cat. Food and vitamin costs range up to over a thousand dollars a year, not including medical bills each month. Licenses and insurance also range up to high numbers that cost almost as much as the cat itself. (Defenders, 2013)
Ocelots are very common in South America, but their numbers declined in North America quickly. They have small litters and have almost identical births as a normal kitten would have. Their diet consists of only meat and their teeth are built to tear flesh. In a human environment as a pet they are an extremely large responsibility and require frequent care and attention. They will remain not a concern for extinction as long as hunting bands remain in place and poachers do not threaten them.

More about Essay On Ocelots

Open Document