Species comparison
Margay vs Kodkod
A side-by-side look at Leopardus wiedii and Leopardus guigna across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The margay averages about 1.7 times the body mass of the kodkod.
- Both species use montane forest.
- Their ranges both include South America.
- Red List categories differ: Margay is listed as Near Threatened, Kodkod as Vulnerable.
Identification
How each species is named and classified.
Margay
Leopardus wiedii
Kodkod
Leopardus guigna
Margay
Leopardus
Kodkod
Leopardus
Margay
Ocelot lineage
Kodkod
Ocelot lineage
Margay
Small cats
Kodkod
Small cats
Margay
Tree ocelot, Gato maracajá
Kodkod
Güiña, Chilean cat
Body and movement
Published field measurements for adults. Ranges cover both sexes unless noted.
Margay
19 in – 2 ft 7 in (48–79 cm) Longer
Kodkod
15 in – 20 in (37–51 cm)
Margay
13 in – 20 in (33–51 cm) Longer
Kodkod
7 in – 10 in (19–25 cm)
Margay
12 in – 15 in (30–38 cm) Taller
Kodkod
9 in – 11 in (22–27 cm)
Margay
5.7–10.8 lb (2.6–4.9 kg) Heavier
Sexes are similar in size, unusual among cats.
Kodkod
3.3–6.6 lb (1.5–3 kg)
Among the lightest wild cats anywhere.
Margay
Not reliably measured
Not measured; the margay is an agility specialist rather than a runner.
Kodkod
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Life span
Typical adult longevity. Figures for managed care come from zoo and sanctuary records.
Margay
10–12 years Longer
Kodkod
8–11 years
Margay
18–20 years Longer
Kodkod
11–15 years
Habitat and range
Where each species lives and the conditions it tolerates.
Margay
tropical rainforest, montane forest, cloud forest
Almost exclusively continuous forest with a closed canopy, from lowland rainforest to cloud forest above 9,000 feet. The species tolerates disturbance poorly.
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.
Margay
North America, South America
From northern Mexico through Central America and Amazonia to northern Argentina and southern Brazil.
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.
Margay
small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects
Tree-dwelling rodents, opossums, squirrels, birds, lizards and large invertebrates, taken mostly above ground.
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.
Margay
Solitary
Rarely observed; ranges are large relative to body size, and litters almost always consist of a single kitten.
Kodkod
Solitary
Home ranges are very small by felid standards, and individuals move within dense understorey rather than across open ground.
Margay
Nocturnal
Strongly night active, spending daylight hours resting in tree hollows and on branches.
Kodkod
Nocturnal and cathemeral
Mainly night active in areas with people, but more day activity is recorded inside continuous forest.
Margay
Arboreal pursuit and ambush
Hunts within the canopy, chasing rodents and birds along branches; field researchers in Brazil have documented a margay imitating the calls of pied tamarins, apparently to draw them closer.
Kodkod
Stalking in dense understorey
Works through bamboo thickets and leaf litter, taking small prey both on the ground and in low branches.
Margay
Exceptional
The benchmark climbing cat of the Americas: it descends head first, hangs by one hind foot and moves confidently through fine branches.
Kodkod
Exceptional
An accomplished climber that rests in trees and escapes dogs by climbing.
Margay
Limited More developed
Rarely recorded in water.
Kodkod
Very limited
No notable association with water.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Margay
NT — Near Threatened
Assessed 2015
Kodkod
VU — Vulnerable
Assessed 2015
Margay
Decreasing
Kodkod
Decreasing
Margay
Deforestation, Forest fragmentation, Road mortality, Illegal pet trade, Very low reproductive output
Dependence on unbroken forest makes the margay especially sensitive to clearance and fragmentation, and its low reproductive rate slows any recovery.
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.
Margay
- Litters of a single kitten are the norm, one of the lowest reproductive rates among cats.
- The ankle rotation that allows head-first descent is shared with only a handful of felids worldwide.
- Its eyes are proportionally larger than an ocelot's, an adaptation to hunting in dark canopy.
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.
- 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.