Species comparison
Southern Tiger Cat vs Kodkod
A side-by-side look at Leopardus guttulus and Leopardus guigna across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The southern tiger cat averages about 1.2 times the body mass of the kodkod.
- 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.
Southern Tiger Cat
Leopardus guttulus
Kodkod
Leopardus guigna
Southern Tiger Cat
Leopardus
Kodkod
Leopardus
Southern Tiger Cat
Ocelot lineage
Kodkod
Ocelot lineage
Southern Tiger Cat
Small cats
Kodkod
Small cats
Southern Tiger Cat
Southern oncilla, Gato-do-mato-pequeno
Kodkod
Güiña, Chilean cat
Body and movement
Published field measurements for adults. Ranges cover both sexes unless noted.
Southern Tiger Cat
16 in – 24 in (40–60 cm) Longer
Kodkod
15 in – 20 in (37–51 cm)
Southern Tiger Cat
8 in – 17 in (20–42 cm) Longer
Kodkod
7 in – 10 in (19–25 cm)
Southern Tiger Cat
9 in – 12 in (23–30 cm) Taller
Kodkod
9 in – 11 in (22–27 cm)
Southern Tiger Cat
4–7.7 lb (1.8–3.5 kg) Heavier
Slightly heavier on average than the northern species.
Kodkod
3.3–6.6 lb (1.5–3 kg)
Among the lightest wild cats anywhere.
Southern Tiger Cat
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Kodkod
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Life span
Typical adult longevity. Figures for managed care come from zoo and sanctuary records.
Southern Tiger Cat
10–13 years Longer
Kodkod
8–11 years
Southern Tiger Cat
14–17 years Longer
Kodkod
11–15 years
Habitat and range
Where each species lives and the conditions it tolerates.
Southern Tiger Cat
tropical rainforest, montane forest, dry forest, agricultural mosaic
Atlantic Forest and adjacent araucaria woodland, including secondary forest and shade plantations that retain canopy cover.
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.
Southern Tiger Cat
South America
Southern and south-eastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay and the Misiones region of north-eastern Argentina.
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.
Southern Tiger Cat
small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects
Small rodents and marsupials, birds, lizards and insects.
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.
Southern Tiger Cat
Solitary
Detected at low densities in most surveys; individuals appear to avoid areas with high ocelot activity.
Kodkod
Solitary
Home ranges are very small by felid standards, and individuals move within dense understorey rather than across open ground.
Southern Tiger Cat
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Predominantly night active, with activity shifting where larger cats are present.
Kodkod
Nocturnal and cathemeral
Mainly night active in areas with people, but more day activity is recorded inside continuous forest.
Southern Tiger Cat
Ground stalk in forest understorey
Takes small prey on the forest floor and in low vegetation, hunting mostly by short stalks.
Kodkod
Stalking in dense understorey
Works through bamboo thickets and leaf litter, taking small prey both on the ground and in low branches.
Southern Tiger Cat
Strong
Climbs readily but forages mainly at ground level.
Kodkod
Exceptional More developed
An accomplished climber that rests in trees and escapes dogs by climbing.
Southern Tiger Cat
Very limited
No notable association with water.
Kodkod
Very limited
No notable association with water.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Southern Tiger Cat
VU — Vulnerable
Assessed 2016
Kodkod
VU — Vulnerable
Assessed 2015
Southern Tiger Cat
Decreasing
Kodkod
Decreasing
Southern Tiger Cat
Atlantic Forest clearance, Fragmentation into small isolated patches, Road mortality, Domestic dog attacks, Disease from domestic cats
Assessed as Vulnerable. Loss and fragmentation of the Atlantic Forest, combined with dog attacks and road mortality in the surrounding farmland, drive the decline.
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.
Southern Tiger Cat
- It was described as separate from the northern tiger cat only in 2013, on genetic grounds.
- The two tiger cat species show no evidence of current interbreeding where their ranges approach one another.
- Its stronghold biome has lost the great majority of its original forest cover.
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.