As many animal lovers say, ordinary cats do not exist, and the proof is not only the inhabitants of the wild, but also pets, which amaze with a variety of colors, habits and habits. But the American long-tailed cat Margay deserves special attention, because its exotic appearance cannot leave anyone indifferent. In addition, this predator is on the verge of extinction and is often kept at home or in zoos.
What does a long-tailed cat look like?
Pretty pretty predators can simply fascinate everyone with thick soft hair and an unusual pattern on the body. It consists of rosettes and spots of brownish ocher, dark brown or tan gray color with a low tide (large ones are located along the spine, small ones on the legs, and wide half rings on the tail). The belly of these mammals is lighter in color.
The weight of adults varies from 4 to 8 kg. The long-tailed cat, living in the wild, amazes with surprisingly large eyes with lenticular pupils, which are very effectively edged with black and white stripes.
The animal differs from its relatives and large oval-shaped erect ears, a fluffy white mustache, a large nose with a dark tip, and also short hair. The body length of males and females is from 60 to 80 cm. However, their tail cannot be called short, since it is about 50 cm long.
It is worth noting that the description of the long-tailed cat indicates that it is a rather large animal and is very similar to oncilla or ocelot.
Habitat of long-tailed cats
For the first time, a predatory mammal was noticed by Prince Maximilian Vid-Noivid, who collected animal specimens in Brazil. Currently, these cats can be found in the dense, moist and evergreen forests of Central and South America. They are common in Cuba, Belize, Ecuador, Panama, Uruguay, Brazil, Guyana, Peru, northern Colombia, eastern and northern Paraguay, as well as in northern Argentina.
With caution, a long-tailed cat is a light forest and does not tolerate cold. Sometimes it wanders into coffee plantations. The individual territory of one individual occupies from 12 to 16 square kilometers, but occasionally they partially overlap.
It is noteworthy that Margay is very good at climbing trees, so he can often be seen in a dense crown.
Wild American Cat Lifestyle
Long-tailed free predators spend most of the time on trees, where they not only rest, but also hide from enemies, and also hunt. Sometimes they arrange shelter in abandoned holes or hollows. They lead a solitary lifestyle, and males favor females only during the mating season - the rest of the time they drive cats out of their possessions, treat them with caution.
Usually, males, looking for a partner for procreation, follow special odor marks and, after mating, are in no hurry to leave the female. They hunt with her, but leave only before childbirth and do not take part in raising offspring. Kittens are born 80 days after conception in a special pre-equipped, well-disguised den. It can be located in dense foliage on trees or forest thicket. Kids go hunting with their mother only in the 2nd month of life, and begin to lead an independent life from 10 months. The mortality rate of young animals is above 50%.
As with many representatives of the feline family, Margai cubs are born blind and begin to see only after 2 weeks.
How to get food
Due to its unique anatomical features, a margay or long-tailed cat climbs trees perfectly, easily jumping from branch to branch. It is in the dense crown that she searches for birds, small rodents and reptiles. Sometimes it does not disdain the fruits of fruit trees, grass, lizards, frogs, ruins bird nests and attacks porcupines or small monkeys. He goes hunting after midnight, tracking the victim from an ambush, and returns to the den by 5 o’clock in the morning. However, some subspecies living in Brazil are active almost around the clock.
Life in captivity
Some South Americans prefer to keep margay as a pet, despite the fact that it is quite difficult. Animals are also kept in many European and American zoos, however, they breed extremely poorly there, since only 50% of the cubs survive to a year.
In specialized nurseries, a long-tailed cat is sold absolutely legally. In addition, it lends itself to taming and gets along with a person, but other small pets simply become its prey. To maintain a predator, it is recommended to create a warm and spacious enclosure with tree trunks, branches and green spaces. The beast’s daily diet should definitely include meat with bones (from 300 to 500 grams), calcium supplements and vitamins. In captivity, predators live for about 20 years, while in freedom - only 10.
It is interesting to know.
American cats have amazing abilities, their long tail is not only a decoration. It is with his help that Margay can perfectly land on 4 legs, and also easily jump from branch to branch, like a squirrel. An interesting fact is that the hind limbs can rotate 180 degrees in the ankle around the longitudinal axis, and thus the animal releases its front paws while moving around the tree. Therefore, often in the photo a long-tailed cat is depicted hanging upside down on a branch (it is held only by its hind limbs or even with one paw at all).
Scientists in 2005 managed to find out that Margay can successfully imitate the sounds of tamarine cubs. By issuing invocations of monkeys, she successfully attracts the attention of curious animals during the hunt.
Currently, the main enemy of this spotted predator is man. Margay's population is sharply reduced due to deforestation of tropical forests and poachers who kill animals for beautiful fur. For these reasons, the long-tailed cat is on the verge of extinction and hunting for it is strictly prohibited by interstate agreements. It is also not permitted to trade in products made from representatives of the species. The illegal catch of cats is punished with the aim of selling exotic animals on the black market.