Mammals · Carnivora · Felidae
Northern Tiger Cat
Leopardus tigrinus
It faces a high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term. See full glossary
The northern tiger cat, known in Spanish as tigrillo, leopardo tigre or gato de monte, is a species of carnivorous mammal of the family Felidae. It is a nocturnal cat native to the tropical forests of Central and South America between 600 and 4,300 m above sea level. Also called the little spotted cat. A member of the genus Felis. It used to belong to the subgenus Leopardus. It is currently listed as an endangered species under the United States Endangered Species Act.
Weight
1.5 kg – 3 kg
Size
38 cm – 59 cm
Lifespan
17 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Moderate
Fun facts
- GeneralOne of the smallest cats in the Americas; it weighs a little over 2 kg.
- What was called the oncilla turned out to be more than one species: in 2013 genetic studies separated the populations of southern Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay as Leopardus guttulus, the southern tiger cat, and further Andean splits have been proposed since.
- It prefers the mountains: unlike most small Neotropical cats, its range is concentrated in cloud forest above a thousand metres.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Montane cloud forest, páramo and highland forest of Central America and the Andes
- Sexual maturity
- 24 months
- Gestation / incubation
- 2.5 months
- Litter / clutch size
- 1.5 (average)
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopardus_tigrinus
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapWhere to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 61 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Northern Tiger Cat — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Margay
Leopardus wiedii
Least ConcernPuma
Puma concolor
Near ThreatenedJaguar
Panthera onca
Least ConcernOcelot
Leopardus pardalis
EndangeredAndean Cat
Leopardus jacobita
Pampas Cat
Leopardus colocolo
How to help
The northern tiger cat is classified as vulnerable. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 8 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about northern tiger cat.
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