Barely larger than a small domestic cat, the kodkod has a thick tail, small rounded head and a coat of dense black spots on buff or grey. Melanism is common.
It has the smallest geographic range of any cat in the Americas, tied to the Valdivian temperate rainforest and adjacent Araucaria and southern beech woodland.
Size and measurements
| Head-body length | 15 in – 20 in (37–51 cm) |
|---|---|
| Tail length | 7 in – 10 in (19–25 cm) |
| Shoulder height | 9 in – 11 in (22–27 cm) |
| Body weight | 3.3–6.6 lb (1.5–3 kg) — Among the lightest wild cats anywhere. |
| Top recorded speed | Not reliably measured — Not measured in the field. |
| Lifespan in the wild | 8–11 years |
| Lifespan under human care | 11–15 years |
Habitat and range
Moist temperate rainforest with dense bamboo understorey; the cat also uses forest fragments and shelterbelts within farmland, which brings it close to people.
Central and southern Chile, including Chiloé Island, and a narrow adjacent band of south-western Argentina.
Diet and hunting
Rodents, marsupial mice, small birds, lizards and insects; occasional raids on domestic poultry cause most of its conflict with people.
Hunting strategy — Stalking in dense understorey. Works through bamboo thickets and leaf litter, taking small prey both on the ground and in low branches.
Behaviour and activity
Solitary. Home ranges are very small by felid standards, and individuals move within dense understorey rather than across open ground.
Nocturnal and cathemeral. Mainly night active in areas with people, but more day activity is recorded inside continuous forest.
Climbing and swimming
Climbing — Exceptional. An accomplished climber that rests in trees and escapes dogs by climbing.
Swimming — Very limited. No notable association with water.
Conservation status
The Kodkod is currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with a population trend recorded as decreasing in the assessment published in 2015.
A very small global range combined with continuing clearance of temperate rainforest for plantations and pasture keeps the species under pressure.
Documented threats
- Logging and conversion of native forest
- Killing after poultry losses
- Attacks by domestic dogs
- Road mortality
- Disease transmission from domestic cats
Look up the current Red List assessment for Leopardus guigna
Notable traits
- 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 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.
- National Geographic — Animals General natural-history reference for behaviour, range and ecology.