Species comparison
Andean Mountain Cat vs Kodkod
A side-by-side look at Leopardus jacobita and Leopardus guigna across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The andean mountain cat averages about 2.1 times the body mass of the kodkod.
- The two species occupy different habitat types with no overlap in our classification.
- Their ranges both include South America.
- Red List categories differ: Andean Mountain Cat is listed as Endangered, Kodkod as Vulnerable.
Identification
How each species is named and classified.
Andean Mountain Cat
Leopardus jacobita
Kodkod
Leopardus guigna
Andean Mountain Cat
Leopardus
Kodkod
Leopardus
Andean Mountain Cat
Ocelot lineage
Kodkod
Ocelot lineage
Andean Mountain Cat
Small cats
Kodkod
Small cats
Andean Mountain Cat
Andean cat, Gato andino
Kodkod
Güiña, Chilean cat
Body and movement
Published field measurements for adults. Ranges cover both sexes unless noted.
Andean Mountain Cat
22 in – 2 ft 9 in (57–85 cm) Longer
Kodkod
15 in – 20 in (37–51 cm)
Andean Mountain Cat
16 in – 19 in (41–48 cm) Longer
Kodkod
7 in – 10 in (19–25 cm)
Andean Mountain Cat
13 in – 15 in (33–38 cm) Taller
Kodkod
9 in – 11 in (22–27 cm)
Andean Mountain Cat
8.8–12 lb (4–5.5 kg) Heavier
Very few animals have ever been weighed.
Kodkod
3.3–6.6 lb (1.5–3 kg)
Among the lightest wild cats anywhere.
Andean Mountain Cat
Not reliably measured
No field measurement exists.
Kodkod
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Life span
Typical adult longevity. Figures for managed care come from zoo and sanctuary records.
Andean Mountain Cat
10–12 years Longer
Kodkod
8–11 years
Andean Mountain Cat
12–15 years Longer
Kodkod
11–15 years
Habitat and range
Where each species lives and the conditions it tolerates.
Andean Mountain Cat
rocky alpine, steppe
Arid, rocky terrain above the treeline in the high Andes, and rocky steppe in northern Patagonia, generally between 10,000 and 16,000 feet.
Kodkod
temperate forest, montane forest
Moist temperate rainforest with dense bamboo understorey; the cat also uses forest fragments and shelterbelts within farmland, which brings it close to people.
Andean Mountain Cat
South America
Southern Peru, western Bolivia, northern Chile and north-western Argentina, with a disjunct population in the Patagonian steppe.
Kodkod
South America
Central and southern Chile, including Chiloé Island, and a narrow adjacent band of south-western Argentina.
Diet and behaviour
Feeding ecology, social organisation and hunting technique.
Andean Mountain Cat
small mammals, birds, reptiles
Mountain viscachas dominate the diet, supplemented by chinchillas, tuco-tucos, birds and lizards.
Kodkod
small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects
Rodents, marsupial mice, small birds, lizards and insects; occasional raids on domestic poultry cause most of its conflict with people.
Andean Mountain Cat
Solitary
Densities are extremely low, and individuals appear to range widely across rocky outcrops that hold viscacha colonies.
Kodkod
Solitary
Home ranges are very small by felid standards, and individuals move within dense understorey rather than across open ground.
Andean Mountain Cat
Crepuscular and nocturnal
Most records fall around twilight, with some daytime activity in cold, clear weather.
Kodkod
Nocturnal and cathemeral
Mainly night active in areas with people, but more day activity is recorded inside continuous forest.
Andean Mountain Cat
Ambush around rock colonies
Hunts by waiting near viscacha colonies and rushing over broken rock.
Kodkod
Stalking in dense understorey
Works through bamboo thickets and leaf litter, taking small prey both on the ground and in low branches.
Andean Mountain Cat
Strong
Highly capable on rock and scree; trees are absent from most of its range.
Kodkod
Exceptional More developed
An accomplished climber that rests in trees and escapes dogs by climbing.
Andean Mountain Cat
Very limited
No meaningful records; the habitat offers little standing water.
Kodkod
Very limited
No notable association with water.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Andean Mountain Cat
EN — Endangered
Assessed 2016
Kodkod
VU — Vulnerable
Assessed 2015
Andean Mountain Cat
Decreasing
Kodkod
Decreasing
Andean Mountain Cat
Decline of mountain viscacha populations, Killing for traditional and ceremonial use, Mining expansion in high-altitude basins, Habitat fragmentation, Dogs accompanying herders
Assessed as Endangered with a small and declining population. Its dependence on a single main prey species, itself hunted by people, makes the situation fragile.
Kodkod
Logging and conversion of native forest, Killing after poultry losses, Attacks by domestic dogs, Road mortality, Disease transmission from domestic cats
A very small global range combined with continuing clearance of temperate rainforest for plantations and pasture keeps the species under pressure.
Notable traits
Details that do not fit neatly into a measurement table.
Andean Mountain Cat
- Fewer than 1,500 mature individuals are estimated to survive.
- Dried specimens appear in some Andean ceremonial traditions, which is a documented source of mortality.
- The tail can approach three-quarters of head-body length and is unusually thick and heavily ringed.
Kodkod
- It is the smallest wild cat in the Americas by both length and weight.
- Its entire global range is smaller than that of almost any other felid.
- Populations on Chiloé Island are genetically distinct from those on the mainland.
Sources used for this comparison
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Global assessment categories, population trends and documented threats.
- IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group Species accounts, distribution notes and Cat News reporting for every wild felid.
- Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation Dedicated research and field reporting on the lesser-known felids.
- Wildlife Conservation Society Field programmes, camera-trap surveys and population monitoring.
- National Geographic — Animals General natural-history reference for behaviour, range and ecology.
- Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Reviewed species accounts with morphometric ranges and reproductive data.