Species comparison
Margay vs Northern Tiger Cat
A side-by-side look at Leopardus wiedii and Leopardus tigrinus across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The margay averages about 1.5 times the body mass of the northern tiger cat.
- Both species use montane forest and cloud forest.
- Their ranges both include North America and South America.
- Red List categories differ: Margay is listed as Near Threatened, Northern Tiger Cat as Vulnerable.
Identification
How each species is named and classified.
Margay
Leopardus wiedii
Northern Tiger Cat
Leopardus tigrinus
Margay
Leopardus
Northern Tiger Cat
Leopardus
Margay
Ocelot lineage
Northern Tiger Cat
Ocelot lineage
Margay
Small cats
Northern Tiger Cat
Small cats
Margay
Tree ocelot, Gato maracajá
Northern Tiger Cat
Oncilla, Little spotted 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
Northern Tiger Cat
15 in – 23 in (38–59 cm)
Margay
13 in – 20 in (33–51 cm) Longer
Northern Tiger Cat
8 in – 17 in (20–42 cm)
Margay
12 in – 15 in (30–38 cm) Taller
Northern Tiger Cat
9 in – 12 in (22–30 cm)
Margay
5.7–10.8 lb (2.6–4.9 kg) Heavier
Sexes are similar in size, unusual among cats.
Northern Tiger Cat
3.3–7.7 lb (1.5–3.5 kg)
Sexes are similar in size.
Margay
Not reliably measured
Not measured; the margay is an agility specialist rather than a runner.
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.
Margay
10–12 years
Northern Tiger Cat
10–13 years Longer
Margay
18–20 years Longer
Northern Tiger Cat
14–17 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.
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.
Margay
North America, South America
From northern Mexico through Central America and Amazonia to northern Argentina and southern Brazil.
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.
Margay
small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects
Tree-dwelling rodents, opossums, squirrels, birds, lizards and large invertebrates, taken mostly above ground.
Northern Tiger Cat
small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects
Small rodents, marsupials, birds, lizards and invertebrates.
Margay
Solitary
Rarely observed; ranges are large relative to body size, and litters almost always consist of a single kitten.
Northern Tiger Cat
Solitary
Rarely detected even in well-surveyed areas; density estimates are low wherever ocelots are common.
Margay
Nocturnal
Strongly night active, spending daylight hours resting in tree hollows and on branches.
Northern Tiger Cat
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Mostly night active, with more daytime records where ocelots are absent.
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.
Northern Tiger Cat
Ground stalk in dense cover
Hunts small prey on the forest floor and in low vegetation.
Margay
Exceptional More developed
The benchmark climbing cat of the Americas: it descends head first, hangs by one hind foot and moves confidently through fine branches.
Northern Tiger Cat
Strong
Climbs well, though it hunts mainly at ground level.
Margay
Limited More developed
Rarely recorded in water.
Northern Tiger Cat
Very limited
Little recorded use of water.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Margay
NT — Near Threatened
Assessed 2015
Northern Tiger Cat
VU — Vulnerable
Assessed 2016
Margay
Decreasing
Northern Tiger Cat
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.
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.
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.
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.
- 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.