Species comparison
Northern Tiger Cat vs Geoffroy's Cat
A side-by-side look at Leopardus tigrinus and Leopardus geoffroyi across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The geoffroy's cat averages about 2 times the body mass of the northern tiger cat.
- Both species use dry forest.
- Their ranges both include South America.
- Red List categories differ: Northern Tiger Cat is listed as Vulnerable, Geoffroy's Cat as Least Concern.
Identification
How each species is named and classified.
Northern Tiger Cat
Leopardus tigrinus
Geoffroy's Cat
Leopardus geoffroyi
Northern Tiger Cat
Leopardus
Geoffroy's Cat
Leopardus
Northern Tiger Cat
Ocelot lineage
Geoffroy's Cat
Ocelot lineage
Northern Tiger Cat
Small cats
Geoffroy's Cat
Small cats
Northern Tiger Cat
Oncilla, Little spotted cat
Geoffroy's Cat
Gato montés
Body and movement
Published field measurements for adults. Ranges cover both sexes unless noted.
Northern Tiger Cat
15 in – 23 in (38–59 cm)
Geoffroy's Cat
17 in – 2 ft 2 in (42–66 cm) Longer
Northern Tiger Cat
8 in – 17 in (20–42 cm) Longer
Geoffroy's Cat
9 in – 14 in (24–36 cm)
Northern Tiger Cat
9 in – 12 in (22–30 cm)
Geoffroy's Cat
10 in – 12 in (25–30 cm) Taller
Northern Tiger Cat
3.3–7.7 lb (1.5–3.5 kg)
Sexes are similar in size.
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.
Northern Tiger Cat
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Geoffroy's Cat
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Life span
Typical adult longevity. Figures for managed care come from zoo and sanctuary records.
Northern Tiger Cat
10–13 years
Geoffroy's Cat
10–14 years Longer
Northern Tiger Cat
14–17 years
Geoffroy's Cat
14–18 years Longer
Habitat and range
Where each species lives and the conditions it tolerates.
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.
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.
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.
Geoffroy's Cat
South America
Bolivia, Paraguay, southern Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile, reaching the southern tip of the continent.
Diet and behaviour
Feeding ecology, social organisation and hunting technique.
Northern Tiger Cat
small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects
Small rodents, marsupials, birds, lizards and invertebrates.
Geoffroy's Cat
small mammals, birds, fish, reptiles
Rodents and small birds dominate; fish, frogs and crustaceans are taken where wetlands are available.
Northern Tiger Cat
Solitary
Rarely detected even in well-surveyed areas; density estimates are low wherever ocelots are common.
Geoffroy's Cat
Solitary
Occupies small home ranges at relatively high density where cover and rodents are plentiful.
Northern Tiger Cat
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Mostly night active, with more daytime records where ocelots are absent.
Geoffroy's Cat
Nocturnal
Chiefly night active, with occasional crepuscular movement in undisturbed areas.
Northern Tiger Cat
Ground stalk in dense cover
Hunts small prey on the forest floor and in low vegetation.
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.
Northern Tiger Cat
Strong
Climbs well, though it hunts mainly at ground level.
Geoffroy's Cat
Strong
A capable climber that rests and dens in trees where they are available.
Northern Tiger Cat
Very limited
Little recorded use of water.
Geoffroy's Cat
Strong More developed
One of the more water-tolerant small cats, entering streams and marsh to hunt.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Northern Tiger Cat
VU — Vulnerable
Assessed 2016
Geoffroy's Cat
LC — Least Concern
Assessed 2014
Northern Tiger Cat
Decreasing
Geoffroy's Cat
Stable
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.
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.
Notable traits
Details that do not fit neatly into a measurement table.
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.
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.
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.