Leopardus
| Leopardus[1] | |
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| Ocelot, Leopardus pardalis | |
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| Genus: | Leopardus Gray, 1842
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The genus Leopardus consists of small spotted cats mostly native to Central and South America. Very few range into the southern United States. The genus is considered the oldest branch of the part of the cat family to cross into the Americas, followed by the Lynx family and the Puma family. The Jaguar is the other extant cat native to the Americas. The largest species in Leopardus is the Ocelot; most of the other species resemble domestic housecats in size. Members of the genus are:
- Colocolo (Leopardus colocolo)
- Pantanal (Leopardus braccatus)
- Pampas Cat (Leopardus pajeros)
The Colocolo is a wideranging cat. Only recently have two of its subspecies, the Pantanal and Pampas Cat, been elevated to the status of their own species.
- Geoffroy's Cat (Leopardus geoffroyi) Common species in much of South America.
- Kodkod (Leopardus guigna) Smallest cat native to the Americas.
- Andean Mountain Cat (Leopardus jacobitus) Rare and elusive, with a gorgeous long tail.
Considered more closely related to each other than to the rest are:
- Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis)
- Oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus)
- Margay (Leopardus wiedii) Highly adapted for arboreal life.
Members of Leopardus were previously grouped in the genus Felis.
References
- ^ Wozencraft, W. C. (2005). "Order Carnivora". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 537–540. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
See also
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