Species comparison
Geoffroy's Cat vs Southern Tiger Cat
A side-by-side look at Leopardus geoffroyi and Leopardus guttulus across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The geoffroy's cat averages about 1.8 times the body mass of the southern tiger cat.
- Both species use dry forest and agricultural mosaic.
- Their ranges both include South America.
- Red List categories differ: Geoffroy's Cat is listed as Least Concern, Southern Tiger Cat as Vulnerable.
Identification
How each species is named and classified.
Geoffroy's Cat
Leopardus geoffroyi
Southern Tiger Cat
Leopardus guttulus
Geoffroy's Cat
Leopardus
Southern Tiger Cat
Leopardus
Geoffroy's Cat
Ocelot lineage
Southern Tiger Cat
Ocelot lineage
Geoffroy's Cat
Small cats
Southern Tiger Cat
Small cats
Geoffroy's Cat
Gato montés
Southern Tiger Cat
Southern oncilla, Gato-do-mato-pequeno
Body and movement
Published field measurements for adults. Ranges cover both sexes unless noted.
Geoffroy's Cat
17 in – 2 ft 2 in (42–66 cm) Longer
Southern Tiger Cat
16 in – 24 in (40–60 cm)
Geoffroy's Cat
9 in – 14 in (24–36 cm)
Southern Tiger Cat
8 in – 17 in (20–42 cm) Longer
Geoffroy's Cat
10 in – 12 in (25–30 cm) Taller
Southern Tiger Cat
9 in – 12 in (23–30 cm)
Geoffroy's Cat
4.4–17 lb (2–7.8 kg) Heavier
Most adults weigh 3–5 kg; animals in the south of the range are larger.
Southern Tiger Cat
4–7.7 lb (1.8–3.5 kg)
Slightly heavier on average than the northern species.
Geoffroy's Cat
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Southern Tiger Cat
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Life span
Typical adult longevity. Figures for managed care come from zoo and sanctuary records.
Geoffroy's Cat
10–14 years Longer
Southern Tiger Cat
10–13 years
Geoffroy's Cat
14–18 years Longer
Southern Tiger Cat
14–17 years
Habitat and range
Where each species lives and the conditions it tolerates.
Geoffroy's Cat
semi-arid scrub, grassland, dry forest, wetland, agricultural mosaic
Chaco thornscrub, pampas grassland, Patagonian steppe and riverside woodland; it also uses farmland with hedgerows and marsh edges.
Southern Tiger Cat
tropical rainforest, montane forest, dry forest, agricultural mosaic
Atlantic Forest and adjacent araucaria woodland, including secondary forest and shade plantations that retain canopy cover.
Geoffroy's Cat
South America
Bolivia, Paraguay, southern Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile, reaching the southern tip of the continent.
Southern Tiger Cat
South America
Southern and south-eastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay and the Misiones region of north-eastern Argentina.
Diet and behaviour
Feeding ecology, social organisation and hunting technique.
Geoffroy's Cat
small mammals, birds, fish, reptiles
Rodents and small birds dominate; fish, frogs and crustaceans are taken where wetlands are available.
Southern Tiger Cat
small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects
Small rodents and marsupials, birds, lizards and insects.
Geoffroy's Cat
Solitary
Occupies small home ranges at relatively high density where cover and rodents are plentiful.
Southern Tiger Cat
Solitary
Detected at low densities in most surveys; individuals appear to avoid areas with high ocelot activity.
Geoffroy's Cat
Nocturnal
Chiefly night active, with occasional crepuscular movement in undisturbed areas.
Southern Tiger Cat
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Predominantly night active, with activity shifting where larger cats are present.
Geoffroy's Cat
Ground stalk with frequent climbing
Hunts along cover edges and will climb into low trees after birds, or wade in shallow water after fish.
Southern Tiger Cat
Ground stalk in forest understorey
Takes small prey on the forest floor and in low vegetation, hunting mostly by short stalks.
Geoffroy's Cat
Strong
A capable climber that rests and dens in trees where they are available.
Southern Tiger Cat
Strong
Climbs readily but forages mainly at ground level.
Geoffroy's Cat
Strong More developed
One of the more water-tolerant small cats, entering streams and marsh to hunt.
Southern Tiger Cat
Very limited
No notable association with water.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Geoffroy's Cat
LC — Least Concern
Assessed 2014
Southern Tiger Cat
VU — Vulnerable
Assessed 2016
Geoffroy's Cat
Stable
Southern Tiger Cat
Decreasing
Geoffroy's Cat
Conversion of scrub and grassland to cropland, Road mortality, Killing near poultry, Dog predation, Legacy of intensive fur trapping
Currently secure, having recovered from very heavy fur-trade harvesting in the twentieth century. Habitat conversion and conflict with rural households remain the main local pressures.
Southern Tiger Cat
Atlantic Forest clearance, Fragmentation into small isolated patches, Road mortality, Domestic dog attacks, Disease from domestic cats
Assessed as Vulnerable. Loss and fragmentation of the Atlantic Forest, combined with dog attacks and road mortality in the surrounding farmland, drive the decline.
Notable traits
Details that do not fit neatly into a measurement table.
Geoffroy's Cat
- Hundreds of thousands of skins were traded in the 1970s and 1980s before controls tightened.
- Melanistic individuals are frequent in some populations, particularly in wetter habitats.
- It is one of very few small cats regularly recorded fishing in shallow water.
Southern Tiger Cat
- It was described as separate from the northern tiger cat only in 2013, on genetic grounds.
- The two tiger cat species show no evidence of current interbreeding where their ranges approach one another.
- Its stronghold biome has lost the great majority of its original forest cover.
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.
- Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Reviewed species accounts with morphometric ranges and reproductive data.
- Wildlife Conservation Society Field programmes, camera-trap surveys and population monitoring.