Species comparison
Kodkod vs Northern Tiger Cat
A side-by-side look at Leopardus guigna and Leopardus tigrinus across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The kodkod and the northern tiger cat fall into a similar body-mass band.
- Both species use montane forest.
- Their ranges both include South America.
- Both are currently listed as Vulnerable on the Red List.
Identification
How each species is named and classified.
Kodkod
Leopardus guigna
Northern Tiger Cat
Leopardus tigrinus
Kodkod
Leopardus
Northern Tiger Cat
Leopardus
Kodkod
Ocelot lineage
Northern Tiger Cat
Ocelot lineage
Kodkod
Small cats
Northern Tiger Cat
Small cats
Kodkod
Güiña, Chilean cat
Northern Tiger Cat
Oncilla, Little spotted cat
Body and movement
Published field measurements for adults. Ranges cover both sexes unless noted.
Kodkod
15 in – 20 in (37–51 cm)
Northern Tiger Cat
15 in – 23 in (38–59 cm) Longer
Kodkod
7 in – 10 in (19–25 cm)
Northern Tiger Cat
8 in – 17 in (20–42 cm) Longer
Kodkod
9 in – 11 in (22–27 cm)
Northern Tiger Cat
9 in – 12 in (22–30 cm) Taller
Kodkod
3.3–6.6 lb (1.5–3 kg)
Among the lightest wild cats anywhere.
Northern Tiger Cat
3.3–7.7 lb (1.5–3.5 kg) Heavier
Sexes are similar in size.
Kodkod
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Northern 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.
Kodkod
8–11 years
Northern Tiger Cat
10–13 years Longer
Kodkod
11–15 years
Northern Tiger Cat
14–17 years Longer
Habitat and range
Where each species lives and the conditions it tolerates.
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.
Northern Tiger Cat
montane forest, cloud forest, dry forest, savanna
Montane and cloud forest from around 5,000 feet upward in the Andes and Central America, plus Cerrado woodland and dry Caatinga scrub in Brazil.
Kodkod
South America
Central and southern Chile, including Chiloé Island, and a narrow adjacent band of south-western Argentina.
Northern Tiger Cat
North America, South America
Costa Rica and Panama, through Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and the Guianas to central and north-eastern Brazil.
Diet and behaviour
Feeding ecology, social organisation and hunting technique.
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.
Northern Tiger Cat
small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects
Small rodents, marsupials, birds, lizards and invertebrates.
Kodkod
Solitary
Home ranges are very small by felid standards, and individuals move within dense understorey rather than across open ground.
Northern Tiger Cat
Solitary
Rarely detected even in well-surveyed areas; density estimates are low wherever ocelots are common.
Kodkod
Nocturnal and cathemeral
Mainly night active in areas with people, but more day activity is recorded inside continuous forest.
Northern Tiger Cat
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Mostly night active, with more daytime records where ocelots are absent.
Kodkod
Stalking in dense understorey
Works through bamboo thickets and leaf litter, taking small prey both on the ground and in low branches.
Northern Tiger Cat
Ground stalk in dense cover
Hunts small prey on the forest floor and in low vegetation.
Kodkod
Exceptional More developed
An accomplished climber that rests in trees and escapes dogs by climbing.
Northern Tiger Cat
Strong
Climbs well, though it hunts mainly at ground level.
Kodkod
Very limited
No notable association with water.
Northern Tiger Cat
Very limited
Little recorded use of water.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Kodkod
VU — Vulnerable
Assessed 2015
Northern Tiger Cat
VU — Vulnerable
Assessed 2016
Kodkod
Decreasing
Northern Tiger Cat
Decreasing
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.
Northern Tiger Cat
Montane forest clearance, Cerrado conversion to agriculture, Road mortality, Killing near poultry, Competition and predation pressure from larger cats
Assessed as Vulnerable, with fragmentation of montane forest and conversion of Cerrado woodland driving decline. Population sizes are poorly known throughout the range.
Notable traits
Details that do not fit neatly into a measurement table.
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.
Northern Tiger Cat
- The species was split from the southern tiger cat on genetic evidence in 2013.
- Hybridisation with pampas cats and Geoffroy's cats has been documented at range boundaries.
- It is among the least frequently photographed cats in Neotropical camera-trap surveys.
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.
- National Geographic — Animals General natural-history reference for behaviour, range and ecology.
- Wildlife Conservation Society Field programmes, camera-trap surveys and population monitoring.