Margay

Margay

The Margay is a spotted cat native to Central and South America. Two subspecies are found in the Amazonian rain forest.

The Margay is a solitary and nocturnal animal that prefers remote sections of the rainforest.

The Margay can weigh about 6.6–20 pounds, with a body length of 18 to 32 inches and a tail length of 13 to 20 inches.

Similar to the larger Ocelot, the head of the Margay 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.

The Margay may spend its entire life in the trees, leaping after and chasing birds and monkeys through the treetops. The Margay 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.

Once believed to be vulnerable to extinction, the International Union for Conservation of Nature now lists the Margay as "Near Threatened".

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