The Margay-the hunter that mimics prey species
Wide-eyed and dangerous - the rare feline with a surprising skill
By Annette J Beveridge
Prowling through the treetops in the Americas is a small and mysterious cat called the margay and it has some incredible predatory skills.
Often called the ‘little ocelot’, the margay with its soft, thick coat, which is a brownish yellow and tan with black spots, blotches and stripes is fairly well camouflaged. It has enormous dark eyes, and small features, but can be identified by the two stripes on both cheeks and the large rounded black ears with a white central spot. The fur beneath the belly, the throat, and inside of the legs, is white.
The cats live in tropical and subtropical evergreens, humid forests - both deciduous and semi-deciduous and in the montane cloud forests. They are found through central Mexico and central and south America, Uruguay, Brazil and Northern Argentina.
Acrobatic skills
Known for its ability to leap from branch to branch and for their preference for heights, a margay is perfectly adapted for time in the tree tops with broad, soft feet and mobile toes. Margays have been seen hanging from tree limbs by just one hind foot. This is only possible through their flexible ankles which can be rotated 180° outward. The long tail marked with broad rings and a black tip is approximately 70% of the body length and is perfect for stability.
Margays can easily jump eight feet off the ground or leap approximately 12 feet horizontally.
During the day, they rest in trees and like to be about seven feet from the ground. When venturing back to the ground, margays climb down head first unlike most cats. The tail stabilises movement and the flexible paws enable margays to execute head-first landings or to descend from a considerable height.
Nocturnal activity
Margays are most active between 6pm and 4am. Prey animals include small monkeys, tree frogs, lizards, birds, squirrels, rats and opossums but terrestrial prey and fruit is also on the menu.
Margays produce short-range vocalisations but a new behaviour was noted in 2005, when scientists in the Amazon rainforest heard one cat imitating the call of a baby pied tamarin monkey. Although the high-pitched squeal was apparently a poor imitation, adult tamarins did come closer and this is when the margay would pounce.
This is the first scientifically documented case of a cat imitating a prey species in the Americas.
Reproduction
Margays are mainly solitary but during the mating season between March and June, males will use their heightened sense of smell to detect females in oestrus. Sexual maturity is reached when the cat reaches two years of age. Females come into heat every 32 to 36 days lasting between four-10 days.
Gestation takes between 76-84 days and the female will usually give birth to one kitten. When born, the coat is darker than the adults and has uniform dark spots. The eyes open after two weeks and the young are weaned at two months.
There are many dangers ahead for the young cats.
Many face being killed due to habitat fragmentation, or are killed on the roads. Sadly, margays are also taken for the illegal pet market, or captured for their pelt. Classified as near threatened on the IUCN Red List, it was one of four cats heavily exploited for its fur into the late 1980s.
Population ranges
Population densities are believed to be between one and five individuals per 100 square kms. In some areas, the population density may be as much as 15-25 cats per 100 square kms.
As with all cats, margays mark their home territory by spraying urine and leaving scratch marks on the ground or on tree branches.
Margays are small, but similar-looking to an ocelot. The species will try to avoid ocelots due to predatory competition but there is also a risk of becoming prey. In the bid to avoid them, the smaller cats are often forced into unprotected areas which puts them at risk.
Margays have long been persecuted for their fur even though it is illegal. Additional research is needed going forward.
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