Margay

 

(Leopardu Wiedii)

Spanish: Tigrillo. Belizean Creole: Tiger Cat

 

Margays are the smallest of the five species of beautiful wildcats found in Belize. In Belize, they are known as “tiger cats” and can be found in the dense forest. Margays are often mistaken for ocelots but in comparison, Margays are smaller, have larger eyes, longer tails and are more adorned with spots on their fur.

Margays  are excellent climbers and spend most of their time in trees, where they also make nests for their young ones. Although they sleep and sometimes hunt on trees, they generally travel on the ground.

Similar to the other four cats of Belize, margays are solitary and territorial.  Like the Pumas and Jaguars, they mark their territories by leaving scratch marks on fallen logs and spraying their urine around their claimed area.

Fun Facts

• Margays have very flexible ankles that can rotate 180 degrees. This allows them to jump from tree to tree, hang onto branches efficiently, and climb down a tree trunk headfirst.
• They use their long tails as counterweights for stability and balance high up in the forest trees.
• A margay’s tail is more than half as long as its body
• Margays are ambush hunters; they will stay in one spot and wait for the best moment to strike vulnerable prey.

Belize Zoo Trivia

• The three Margays you see at the Zoo are Rich, Beanie and Jeannie.
• They are almost exclusively asleep during the day, and are easier to see active during a Nocturnal Tour

Conservation Efforts

Margays are currently classified as “Near Threatened” due to habitat destruction. Belize enforces laws for the protection of wildcats. It is illegal to hunt wildcats, possess their skin and teeth, or to keep them as pets.