Species comparison
Northern Tiger Cat vs Ocelot
A side-by-side look at Leopardus tigrinus and Leopardus pardalis across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The ocelot averages about 5 times the body mass of the northern tiger cat.
- Both species use dry forest and savanna.
- Their ranges both include North America and South America.
- Red List categories differ: Northern Tiger Cat is listed as Vulnerable, Ocelot as Least Concern.
Identification
How each species is named and classified.
Northern Tiger Cat
Leopardus tigrinus
Ocelot
Leopardus pardalis
Northern Tiger Cat
Leopardus
Ocelot
Leopardus
Northern Tiger Cat
Ocelot lineage
Ocelot
Ocelot lineage
Northern Tiger Cat
Small cats
Ocelot
Medium-sized cats
Northern Tiger Cat
Oncilla, Little spotted cat
Ocelot
Painted leopard, Dwarf leopard
Body and movement
Published field measurements for adults. Ranges cover both sexes unless noted.
Northern Tiger Cat
15 in – 23 in (38–59 cm)
Ocelot
22 in – 3 ft 3 in (55–100 cm) Longer
Northern Tiger Cat
8 in – 17 in (20–42 cm)
Ocelot
10 in – 18 in (26–45 cm) Longer
Northern Tiger Cat
9 in – 12 in (22–30 cm)
Ocelot
16 in – 20 in (40–50 cm) Taller
Northern Tiger Cat
3.3–7.7 lb (1.5–3.5 kg)
Sexes are similar in size.
Ocelot
15–40 lb (7–18 kg) Heavier
Males average roughly a third heavier than females.
Northern Tiger Cat
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Ocelot
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field; ocelots hunt by slow searching, not pursuit.
Life span
Typical adult longevity. Figures for managed care come from zoo and sanctuary records.
Northern Tiger Cat
10–13 years Longer
Ocelot
7–10 years
Northern Tiger Cat
14–17 years
Ocelot
20–23 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.
Ocelot
tropical rainforest, dry forest, mangrove, semi-arid scrub, savanna, wetland
Dense cover is the constant requirement, from Amazon rainforest and flooded várzea to Texan thornscrub and coastal mangrove.
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.
Ocelot
North America, South America
From south Texas and northern Mexico through Central America to northern Argentina. The United States population is confined to a few small areas of southern Texas.
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.
Ocelot
small mammals, reptiles, birds, fish
Rodents, opossums, armadillos, iguanas, snakes, birds and fish; most prey items weigh under two pounds.
Northern Tiger Cat
Solitary
Rarely detected even in well-surveyed areas; density estimates are low wherever ocelots are common.
Ocelot
Solitary and territorial
Adults hold defended ranges and travel long distances along established routes each night, often several miles.
Northern Tiger Cat
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Mostly night active, with more daytime records where ocelots are absent.
Ocelot
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Predominantly night active, with some daytime movement during cool or wet weather.
Northern Tiger Cat
Ground stalk in dense cover
Hunts small prey on the forest floor and in low vegetation.
Ocelot
Slow ground search with short pounce
Ocelots walk slowly through cover, pausing frequently, and rely on hearing and smell as much as sight.
Northern Tiger Cat
Strong
Climbs well, though it hunts mainly at ground level.
Ocelot
Strong
Climbs and rests in trees but takes most prey on the forest floor.
Northern Tiger Cat
Very limited
Little recorded use of water.
Ocelot
Strong More developed
Comfortable in water, crossing rivers and hunting along flooded forest edges.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Northern Tiger Cat
VU — Vulnerable
Assessed 2016
Ocelot
LC — Least Concern
Assessed 2015
Northern Tiger Cat
Decreasing
Ocelot
Decreasing
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.
Ocelot
Deforestation and fragmentation, Road mortality, Retaliatory killing near poultry, Historical fur trade legacy, Isolation of border populations
Secure at the species level across Amazonia, but the northern edge of the range is in serious trouble: the Texas population numbers only a few dozen animals and is federally listed as endangered in the United States.
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.
Ocelot
- Hundreds of thousands of ocelot skins entered the international fur trade in the 1960s and 1970s before trade controls took effect.
- Highway underpasses in Texas were built specifically to reduce ocelot road deaths.
- Each animal's rosette pattern is unique, which underpins camera-trap population estimates.
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.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Federal listing status and recovery planning for cats occurring in the United States.
- Panthera Field research programmes and species profiles for big and small wild cats.