Ocelot - Carmen Muller

felid-tag.org photo: Dan Bodenstein 

Description and Ecology

The ocelot (leopards pardalis) is a medium sized spotted cat. Colors range from pale gray to brown, with elongated dark spots. Ocelots weight 15 to 35 pounds and can be as long as 4' long including the tail. Males are generally larger than females.

Ocelots have a wide range of habitats, but are not considered habitat generalists. They tend to live in area with dense cover or vegetation, limiting the range of suitable habitats. Habitats vary from bushy forests, semi arid dessert to tropical forests and mountain slopes. Ocelots are nocturnal so they hunt mostly at night.  Their prey consists of rabbits, birds, fish, rodents, snakes and lizards.

Geographic and Population Changes

Ocelots are divided into 11 subspecies that range from the southern Texas and southern Arizona through Mexico to Central America, Ecuador and Argentina. In the mid 1800s ocelots occurred from red river in Arkansas through central and eastern Texas to the Rio Grande. Now their range in the US is limited to a few counties in Arizona and Texas. Two subspecies exist in the United States. The Texas/Tamaulipas ocelot and the Arizona/Sonora ocelot occur in Texas and Arizona respectively.

It’s difficult to estimate the population sizes of animals like ocelots, because they are nocturnal and occupy dense vegetative cover. It is roughly estimated that 80-120 ocelots live in Texas.

In southern Texas there are two fairly isolated ocelot populations. One occurs in Cameron County, primarily on the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, and the other in Willacy and Kenedy Counties, primarily on private ranches. The populations are isolated from each other and occupy habitat fragments. Although some individuals have occurred outside of these two populations, there is no evidence of a breeding population in other areas in Texas. Both Texas populations have lost genetic diversity because there has been little to no genetic exchange from populations in Mexico.

Listing Date and Type

The ocelot was first listed as endangered in 1982. The recovery plan was updated in 2010 and ocelots remain listed as endangered. 

Cause of listing and Threats to Continued Existence

Habitat loss and illegal hunting were initially the two major threats to ocelots. In recent years illegal harvest and export has declined but ocelots continue to be threatened by increased habitat loss. Habitat loss, conversion, and fragmentation are currently the primary threats to ocelots. As their habitat continues to be converted and fragmented the populations become smaller and more isolated. Roads and the U.S./Mexico border are major obstacles to ocelot movement. Vehicle collisions are a major cause of death among ocelots, and these barriers further isolate the U.S. populations from those in Mexico. The increased isolation leads to inbreeding which reduces genetic diversity and fitness of ocelot populations.

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Recovery plan

Where ocelot habitat is degraded and fragmented restoration is critical. It’s also important to connect the populations in Texas with those in Mexico, to provide a corridor for individuals to move through. This will allow populations to mix and increase the genetic diversity in the U.S. populations.

There are six recovery objectives outlined in the recovery plan. The first is to assess, protect and restore sufficient habitat to support viable populations in the borderlands of the U.S. and Mexico. The second is to reduce the effects of human population growth and development on ocelot survival. Third is to maintain or improve genetic fitness, demographic conditions and health of the ocelot. Fourth is to assure the long-term viability of conservation through partnerships, the development and application of incentives fro landowners, application of existing regulations, and public education and outreach. The fifth objective is to Practice adaptive management in which recovery is monitored and recovery tasks are revised by the USFWS in coordination with the Recovery Team as new information becomes available. The last is to Support international efforts to ascertain the status of and conserve the ocelot south of Tamaulipas and in Sonora.

Recovery is estimated to cost a total of $60,870,500 and could be delisted by 2040.