Margay

Scientific Classification

KINGDOM: Animalia

PHYLUM: Chordata

CLASS: Mammalia

ORDER: Carnivora

FAMILY: Felidae

GENUS: Leopardus

SPECIES: L. wiedii

Conservation Status

Margay beautiful cat sitiing on the branch in the tropical forest of Honduras and Costa Rica

Margay, Leopardus wiedii, watches photographer

Margays weigh around 5-11 pounds and can be between 18-30 inches long. One of their most defining features is their incredibly long tail that, at around 20 inches long, is well over half of its body length.

The main coloration of the margay is a shade of brown with rows of dark brown rosettes. Their undersides are white while the margay’s tail has black bands and their black ears have a white mark on the back.

The margay’s large eyes allow them to see clearly at night as they are nocturnal and hunt in the dark. Their long tails are used for balance as they spend almost their whole lives in the trees. In fact, their specialized paws and nails allow the margay to hang from a branch by using only one paw!

Panama Boquete Landscape, on the Quetzal Trail

The margay is a small cat that can be found in parts of Central and South America. They prefer high altitudes with dense forests but can sometimes be seen on plantations.

The margay hunts small prey such as opossums, squirrels, frogs, birds, etc. They will also eat vegetation and fruit to help their digestion. Being able to jump up to 12 feet with ease, combined with their impressive climbing abilities, the margay is able to hunt solely in the trees!

When a female margay is ready to mate, she will emit loud calling noises. Interested males will return her calls and quickly shake their head from side to side. Female margays are pregnant for 2-3 months, after which they will give birth to usually one kitten. The kittens are kept in dens in hollow trees or in little underground burrows. Their eyes will open after two weeks and will begin to leave the den at five weeks. The kittens will be able to eat meat like its parents after only two months!

Unlike majority of cats, the margay can climb down trees head first. It is able to accomplish this because of its flexible ankles, which can rotate 180 degrees! The margay will spend most of its time in the trees, earning it the nickname “tree ocelot”; however, the margay will still hunt and travel on the ground occasionally.