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Leopardus wiedii
– Least Concern
Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
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ANIMALIA
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Phylum:
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CHORDATA
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Class:
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MAMMALIA
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Order:
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CARNIVORA
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Family:
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FELIDAE
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Scientific Name:
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Leopardus wiedii
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Species Authority:
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(Schinz, 1821)
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Common Name/s:
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MARGAY (Eng, Fre, Spa)
TREE OCELOT (Eng)
CAUCEL (Spa)
GATO MONTÉS (Spa)
TIGRILLO (Spa)
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Assessment Information
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Red List Category & Criteria:
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LC ver 3.1 (2001)
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Year Assessed:
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2002
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Assessor/s:
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Cat Specialist Group
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Evaluator/s:
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Nowell, K., Breitenmoser, U., Breitenmoser, C. & Jackson, P. (Cat Red List Authority)
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Justification:
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Based on estimates of density and geographic range (Nowell and Jackson 1996), the margay’s total effective population size is estimated at greater than 50,000 mature breeding individuals, but with a declining trend due to degradation of its habitat and prey base.
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History:
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| 1982 | - | Vulnerable as Felis wiedii (Thornback and Jenkins 1982) |
| 1986 | - | Vulnerable as Felis wiedii (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1986) |
| 1988 | - | Vulnerable as Felis wiedii (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1988) |
| 1990 | - | Vulnerable as Felis wiedii (IUCN 1990) |
| 1994 | - | Insufficiently Known (Groombridge 1994) |
| 1996 | - | Lower Risk/least concern (Baillie and Groombridge 1996) |
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Geographic Range
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Range Description:
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A Central and South American species.
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Countries:
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Native:
Argentina; Belize; Bolivia; Brazil; Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador; El Salvador; Guatemala; Guyana; Honduras; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Suriname; United States; Uruguay; Venezuela
Uncertain presence and origin:
French Guiana
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Population
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Population Trend:
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Habitat and Ecology
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Habitat and Ecology:
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The margay is more strongly associated with forest habitat, both evergreen and deciduous, than any other tropical American cat (Nowell and Jackson 1996). It appears to be less tolerant of human settlement and altered habitat than its close relatives, the ocelot and oncilla, although it has been occasionally reported outside forested areas (Nowell and Jackson 1996).
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System:
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Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine
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Threats
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Threats:
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The margay has been one of the most heavily exploited Latin American cats. Margays began to appear in international trade at a time of concern over the level of exploitation of the ocelot, and species of spotted cats in trade were rarely verified. Illegal hunting for domestic markets or for the underground skin trade has been reported to be a continuing a problem in some areas (Nowell and Jackson 1996). However, deforestation is now the primary threat to reduced populations now that international trade has virtually ceased (Nowell and Jackson 1996).
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Conservation Actions
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Conservation Actions:
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Included on CITES Appendix I. This species is protected across most of its range, with hunting and trade prohibited in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela (Nowell and Jackson 1996).
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