Species comparison
Southern Tiger Cat vs Northern Tiger Cat
A side-by-side look at Leopardus guttulus and Leopardus tigrinus across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The southern tiger cat and the northern tiger cat fall into a similar body-mass band.
- Both species use montane forest and dry 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
Northern Tiger Cat
Leopardus tigrinus
Southern Tiger Cat
Leopardus
Northern Tiger Cat
Leopardus
Southern Tiger Cat
Ocelot lineage
Northern Tiger Cat
Ocelot lineage
Southern Tiger Cat
Small cats
Northern Tiger Cat
Small cats
Southern Tiger Cat
Southern oncilla, Gato-do-mato-pequeno
Northern Tiger Cat
Oncilla, Little spotted 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
Northern Tiger Cat
15 in – 23 in (38–59 cm)
Southern Tiger Cat
8 in – 17 in (20–42 cm)
Northern Tiger Cat
8 in – 17 in (20–42 cm)
Southern Tiger Cat
9 in – 12 in (23–30 cm) Taller
Northern Tiger Cat
9 in – 12 in (22–30 cm)
Southern Tiger Cat
4–7.7 lb (1.8–3.5 kg) Heavier
Slightly heavier on average than the northern species.
Northern Tiger Cat
3.3–7.7 lb (1.5–3.5 kg)
Sexes are similar in size.
Southern Tiger Cat
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
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.
Southern Tiger Cat
10–13 years
Northern Tiger Cat
10–13 years
Southern Tiger Cat
14–17 years
Northern Tiger Cat
14–17 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.
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.
Southern Tiger Cat
South America
Southern and south-eastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay and the Misiones region of north-eastern Argentina.
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.
Southern Tiger Cat
small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects
Small rodents and marsupials, birds, lizards and insects.
Northern Tiger Cat
small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects
Small rodents, marsupials, birds, lizards and invertebrates.
Southern Tiger Cat
Solitary
Detected at low densities in most surveys; individuals appear to avoid areas with high ocelot activity.
Northern Tiger Cat
Solitary
Rarely detected even in well-surveyed areas; density estimates are low wherever ocelots are common.
Southern Tiger Cat
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Predominantly night active, with activity shifting where larger cats are present.
Northern Tiger Cat
Nocturnal and crepuscular
Mostly night active, with more daytime records where ocelots are absent.
Southern Tiger Cat
Ground stalk in forest understorey
Takes small prey on the forest floor and in low vegetation, hunting mostly by short stalks.
Northern Tiger Cat
Ground stalk in dense cover
Hunts small prey on the forest floor and in low vegetation.
Southern Tiger Cat
Strong
Climbs readily but forages mainly at ground level.
Northern Tiger Cat
Strong
Climbs well, though it hunts mainly at ground level.
Southern Tiger Cat
Very limited
No notable association with water.
Northern Tiger Cat
Very limited
Little recorded use of water.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Southern Tiger Cat
VU — Vulnerable
Assessed 2016
Northern Tiger Cat
VU — Vulnerable
Assessed 2016
Southern Tiger Cat
Decreasing
Northern Tiger Cat
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.
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.
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.
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.