{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "ocelot",
  "name": "Ocelot",
  "scientificName": "Leopardus pardalis",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "The ocelot is a medium-sized spotted cat of Latin American forests, thorn scrub, and Texas borderlands, weighing 8–16 kg (18–35 lb) with a beautiful rosetted coat once prized by the fur trade. Nocturnal and solitary, it hunts rabbits, rodents, and birds and persists in a small Texas breeding population.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Carnivora",
    "family": "Felidae",
    "genus": "Leopardus"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 12,
    "lengthM": 1,
    "topSpeedKmh": 55,
    "lifespanYears": 14
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Leopardus pardalis"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Carnivore — rodents, rabbits, birds, reptiles, and fish"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Tropical forest, thorn scrub, and marsh from Texas to Argentina"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "10–14 years in the wild"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "8–16 kg (18–35 lb); males larger"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Up to 55 km/h (34 mph) in ambush pursuit"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Tropical forest, thorn scrub, and marsh from southern Texas and Mexico through Central America to Argentina; a small breeding population persists in Texas.",
    "continents": [
      "North America",
      "South America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Leopardus pardalis.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Leopardus%20pardalis&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Leopardus pardalis. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Leopardus_pardalis/"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/ocelot/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/ocelot/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}