Margay: status, range, size and diet
A slender, long-tailed spotted cat of Neotropical forests that spends much of its life in the trees, listed as Near Threatened.
Also known as Leopardus wiedii, tree ocelot, long-tailed spotted cat
At a glance
| Scientific name | Leopardus wiedii |
|---|---|
| Group | Small wild cats |
| Weight | 2.3-4.9 kg |
| Length | Head and body about 46-69 cm, tail 23-52 cm |
| Known for | Ankles that rotate far enough for it to descend trees head first. |
Status
| IUCN Red List category | Near Threatened |
|---|---|
| Assessed in | 2015 |
Where it lives
| Range | Forests from northern Mexico through Central America and South America to Uruguay and northern Argentina |
|---|---|
| Habitat | Dense evergreen, dry and cloud forest, mostly from lowlands to mid elevations |
| Diet | Small mammals, birds, lizards, tree frogs and insects, sometimes small primates |
Main threats
- Deforestation and fragmentation
- Past skin trade
- Road deaths
- Retaliation over poultry
About
The margay looks like a small ocelot, with large dark eyes, a long tail and a coat of dark rosettes on a tawny background. Its adaptations for life in trees are among the most striking of any cat. The hind feet turn almost all the way round at the ankle, so the margay can climb down a trunk head first, hang from a branch by one hind foot and grip with either pair of paws. Its tail makes up about three quarters of its head and body length and works as a counterweight.
It is solitary and mostly nocturnal. Females have a low birth rate, usually one kitten at a time, which makes populations slow to recover from losses.
Where it lives and what it eats
Margays range from northern Mexico across Central America and through much of South America east of the Andes to Uruguay and northern Argentina. A single old record from Texas is the only one from the United States. They prefer forests with dense cover, including cloud forest and tropical dry forest, and are found less often in plantations and secondary growth.
Prey includes rodents, squirrels, birds and their eggs, lizards, tree frogs and insects. Large cats nearby affect them. Where ocelots are common, margays tend to be scarce.
Threats and conservation
Habitat loss is the main problem. Forest clearing for farms, pasture, plantations and dams has split populations, and the species does poorly in small, isolated patches. In the 1970s and 1980s the fur trade took a very large number of skins, at least 125,000 over about a decade, and illegal hunting continues in places. Margays are also killed on roads, taken for the pet trade and shot after raids on poultry.
Trade has been regulated under CITES Appendix I since 1989, and hunting is banned across most of the range. Researchers note that unpublished genetic work suggests the species may contain more than one lineage, so the taxonomy may change.
Cats and people
Margays are not dangerous to people. Wild-caught kittens have been sold as pets, with poor results, since they are fragile and do not adapt to homes. A famous observation in Brazil recorded a margay imitating the call of a young monkey, apparently to draw in prey, an example of how little is still known about this cat's behaviour.
Profile last reviewed November 7, 2026