Smallest South American Cat

The Kodkod or Guiña is related to Geoffrey’s cat, and similar in appearance, but is about half the size of a domestic cat. It has a short tail. These cats are very rare.

I always wished I had a cat that would stay little . . . but don't I'll be getting one of these!

JJ

Another spotted cat

Gray or tan, Geoffrey’s Cat has small black spots. These cats live in woodlands and scrublands of Bolivia, Argentina, southern Brazil, and Paraguay. Though a very common cat, they are unfortunately hunted for their unusual fur. It takes 75 Geoffrey’s Cat pelts to make one fur coat.

I prefer the fur on the animals, thank you.

JJ

Not quite a duplicate

Another ocelot looking cat is the Oncilla, sometimes called the Little Spotted Cat or Tigrina. They live at higher elevations than either the margay or ocelot. They are especially hard to tell apart from the former, though are more slender.

I bet it matters to another oncilla though!

Jungle Jane

Kinda like the ocelot

Similar in appearance to an ocelot, Margays are smaller and have longer legs and tails. The margay is the only cat that can climb head first down a tree, which you can see in this video, though unfortunately this margay is in a cage.


Margays are sometimes called Long-tailed Spotted Cats.

JJ

Name starts like the Jaguar but the resemblance ends there

The Jaguarundi comes in a variety of colors: charcoal, gray, brown, red. Jaguarundi are also called otter cats or weasel cats which gives you an idea of what they look like. Their fur has no patterning except when they are kittens. The jaguarundi is a small cat.

Go to this website to see some pictures or to learn more about these cats.

Central and South American Cats

Let’s move south for a look at some more cats. We’ll start with the more well-known Jaguar.

Sometimes a jaguar is black on black—the spots are still there, but are only visible in the right light—this is what’s commonly called the black panther. Mostly though jaguars are golden with black spots that form circles (rosettes) around other spots. They look a lot like a leopard, but are stockier and squarer jawed. Jaguars also like water.

Watch one in action.

Pick a name

Cougar, Puma, Panther, Mountain Lion, Catamount all refer to the same big cat. Whatever you want to call it, the cougar doesn’t roar, but has a distinctive scream. They also can make impressive leaps. Watch some in action.


And, please note, there are no black panthers in North America. Click here for more info.

A “snowshoe” cat

Speaking of Lynx, besides their long ear tuffs, and totally black tipped tails, they have big feet that act like snowshoes. They are usually larger than bobcats.
Watch this amazing video of a fight between the two species.

I don't think I'll mess with either beastie!

JJ

Stubby tail cat

This small cat’s tail is only 6 or 7 inches long, which may have given it the name of Bobcat. Its snarls and growls sound like they should be coming from a much larger cat, maybe a mountain lion, yet bobcats usually weigh 15 to 20 pounds. The bobcat has much smaller ear tufts than a lynx. The end of a bobcat's tail is black on top and white on the bottom.

A true snow cat

If you want to see a Snow Leopard in the wild, you’d need to go to Central Asia and go up in the mountains between 9800 and 17,000 feet! Though it would be hard to find one if you did. Look at how this male leopard blends in to his surroundings!



My family and I once drove up Mt. Evans in Colorado, what is called the highest paved road in the US, reaching an elevation of 14,240 feet. It was summer, but freezing cold and when we realized our lips were turning blue from lack of oxygen as well as cold, we went back down. No wonder snow leopards have such thick coats, fur-lined paws, and an enlarged nasal cavity!

JJ