Ocelot

     The ocelot is a medium sized spotted cat that reaches 15-19 inches. It is native to the southwestern states, Mexico, Central and South America, and some Caribbean Islands. The ocelot is efficient at swimming, running, leaping and climbing as it a very athletic animal. It is typically active at twilight and tends to be solitary and territorial. 

    This species niche in the ecosystem is that it eats small mammals such as rodents, armadillos, opossums, and fish. The ocelot primarily hunts and eats mammals that are under 3 pounds. The cause of the Ocelots decline is primarily habitat loss, poaching for the fur trade/ pet trade, and vehicles. They are important because they control the small mammal and bird populations.

        Current conservation efforts USFWS monitors the ocelot population and protects and restores thorn scrub habitat. They also work with the Texas Department of Transportation to install under-road wildlife crossings to help keep ocelots off the roads as vehicles pose the greatest immediate threat to Texas ocelots.

    The University of Northern Texas uses geospatial tools such as geographic Information Systems and remote sensing technologies to get more of an  understanding of the habitat of ocelots in south Texas, and then they applied this knowledge to form a predictive model to locate areas of suitable habitat in Willacy and Cameron counties, Texas. Satellite imagery from August 1991 and August 2000 were classified into four land cover types and they were closed canopy, open canopy, water, and urban/barren. These classified images were converted into digital thematic maps for use in resource utilization studies and modeling. 

How to help:

  1. Slow down on roads especially at dusk or at night where the ocelot could inhabit to reduce the risk of hitting one
  2. Never purchase or take part in the trade or selling of ocelot fur
  3. You can make a donation to https://defenders.org/support-our-work. They help aid and conserve the ocelot
  4. Do not live or move to where ocelots inhabit because habitat loss is a large cause of decline for the animal
  5. Be aware and learn how humans negatively affect this animal so you can spread awareness and information on how to protect the ocelot.

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