Plate 037 · stalking at the forest edge IdentificationFive marks on the plate
- 1Small, solid black spots not rosettes.
- 2Black-backed ears with a white spot.
- 3Two cheek stripes black.
- 4Large eyes ringed pale.
- 5Ringed tail with a black tip.
Easily confused with Southern Tiger CatLeopardus guttulus / L. tigrinusSmaller and slimmer, with open rosettes instead of solid spots. MargayLeopardus wiediiLarge rosettes, huge eyes and a very long tail. A wet-forest, tree-climbing cat. 037 / 100 · MAMMALS · FELIDAELEAST CONCERN Geoffroy’s Cat
Leopardus geoffroyi
Gato montés · Geoffroy’s Cat
A wild cat the size of a house cat, covered in small black spots. In Tucumán it lives mainly in the foothills and the Chaco woodland, and it enters the edges of the Yungas. It hunts at night, nearly always on the ground.
- Length
- c. 70 – 100 cm with tail
- Weight
- 2 – 5 kg
- Altitude
- 400 – c. 1,500 m
- Young
- 1 – 3 per litter
- Wild cat
- Nocturnal
- Solitary
- CITES Appendix I
Altitude rangeLower forest edges
In Tucumán Prefers open, dry country with scrub. In Tucumán it is recorded in the foothills and the Chaco hills; it is uncommon in the wet forest.
FoodA rodent hunter
- Rodentsmice and cavies · staple
- Birdsground and scrub birds
- Hares and opossumsoccasional
- Reptilesin summer
It stalks low to the ground and pounces at the end. It also climbs well and rests in trees.
BehaviourPatient and solitary
- Nocturnal. Most active at night and dawn. By day it sleeps in thickets or on branches.
- Stalk and pounce. It creeps flat to the ground until it is one leap from its prey.
- Territorial. Marks its range with urine and droppings in prominent spots.
Where to look in Tucumán- Reserva Experimental Horco Molle
- Sierra de San Javier
- Quebrada de Lules
- Barrancas