Geoffroy's cat is small, compact and covered in small black spots that merge into bands on the legs and tail. Melanistic individuals are common in parts of the range.
It is among the most abundant small cats in the southern cone, occupying scrub, grassland and wetland margins, and it hunts fish and aquatic prey more often than most felids of its size.
Size and measurements
| Head-body length | 17 in – 2 ft 2 in (42–66 cm) |
|---|---|
| Tail length | 9 in – 14 in (24–36 cm) |
| Shoulder height | 10 in – 12 in (25–30 cm) |
| Body weight | 4.4–17 lb (2–7.8 kg) — Most adults weigh 3–5 kg; animals in the south of the range are larger. |
| Top recorded speed | Not reliably measured — Not measured in the field. |
| Lifespan in the wild | 10–14 years |
| Lifespan under human care | 14–18 years |
Habitat and range
Chaco thornscrub, pampas grassland, Patagonian steppe and riverside woodland; it also uses farmland with hedgerows and marsh edges.
Bolivia, Paraguay, southern Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile, reaching the southern tip of the continent.
Diet and hunting
Rodents and small birds dominate; fish, frogs and crustaceans are taken where wetlands are available.
Hunting strategy — Ground stalk with frequent climbing. Hunts along cover edges and will climb into low trees after birds, or wade in shallow water after fish.
Behaviour and activity
Solitary. Occupies small home ranges at relatively high density where cover and rodents are plentiful.
Nocturnal. Chiefly night active, with occasional crepuscular movement in undisturbed areas.
Climbing and swimming
Climbing — Strong. A capable climber that rests and dens in trees where they are available.
Swimming — Strong. One of the more water-tolerant small cats, entering streams and marsh to hunt.
Conservation status
The Geoffroy's Cat is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with a population trend recorded as stable in the assessment published in 2014.
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.
Documented threats
- Conversion of scrub and grassland to cropland
- Road mortality
- Killing near poultry
- Dog predation
- Legacy of intensive fur trapping
Look up the current Red List assessment for Leopardus geoffroyi
Notable traits
- 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 for this profile
- 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.
- Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Reviewed species accounts with morphometric ranges and reproductive data.
- Wildlife Conservation Society Field programmes, camera-trap surveys and population monitoring.