Leopardus
Encyclopedia
Leopardus is a genus
consisting of small spotted cat
s mostly native to Middle
and South America
. Very few range into the southern United States
. The genus is considered the oldest branch of the part of the cat family to cross into the Americas
, followed by the genera Lynx
and Puma
. (The Jaguar
is the other extant cat native to the Americas.) The largest species in Leopardus is the Ocelot
; most of the other species resemble domestic housecats
in size, with the Kodkod
(L. guigna) being the smallest cat in the Americas. The Margay
(L. wiedii) is more highly adapted to arboreal life than any other cat in the Americas.
. The Pantanal
and Pampas Cat
were previously considered subspecies of the Colocolo
.
Genetic studies indicate that the genus Leopardus forms a distinct clade
within the feline subfamily
, and first evolved in South America around ten to twelve million years ago. Within the genus, there appear to be two distinct evolutionary lineages; one leading to the Ocelot, Margay
, and Andean Mountain Cat, and the other leading to the remaining species.
The genus does not include the Leopard
; that species is in the genus Panthera
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
consisting of small spotted cat
Felidae
Felidae is the biological family of the cats; a member of this family is called a felid. Felids are the strictest carnivores of the thirteen terrestrial families in the order Carnivora, although the three families of marine mammals comprising the superfamily pinnipedia are as carnivorous as the...
s mostly native to Middle
Middle America (Americas)
Middle America is a region in the mid-latitudes of the Americas. In southern North America, it usually comprises Mexico, the nations of Central America, and the West Indies. The scope of the term may vary...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. Very few range into the southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
. The genus is considered the oldest branch of the part of the cat family to cross into the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
, followed by the genera Lynx
Lynx
A lynx is any of the four Lynx genus species of medium-sized wildcats. The name "lynx" originated in Middle English via Latin from Greek word "λύγξ", derived from the Indo-European root "*leuk-", meaning "light, brightness", in reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes...
and Puma
Puma (genus)
Puma is a genus in Felidae that contains the cougar and the jaguarundi, and may also include several poorly known Old World fossil representatives .-Species:*Puma concolor – CougarPuma pardoides Puma is a genus in Felidae that contains the cougar (also known as the puma, among other names)...
. (The Jaguar
Jaguar
The jaguar is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Southern United States and Mexico...
is the other extant cat native to the Americas.) The largest species in Leopardus is the Ocelot
Ocelot
The ocelot , pronounced /ˈɒsəˌlɒt/, also known as the dwarf leopard or McKenney's wildcat is a wild cat distributed over South and Central America and Mexico, but has been reported as far north as Texas and in Trinidad, in the Caribbean...
; most of the other species resemble domestic housecats
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
in size, with the Kodkod
Kodkod
The Kodkod , also called Guiña, is the smallest cat in the Americas and also has the smallest distribution, being found primarily in central and southern Chile and marginally in adjoining areas of Argentina...
(L. guigna) being the smallest cat in the Americas. The Margay
Margay
The Margay is a spotted cat native to Middle and South America. Named for Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied, it is a solitary and nocturnal animal that prefers remote sections of the rainforest. Although it was once believed to be vulnerable to extinction, the IUCN now lists it as "Near Threatened"...
(L. wiedii) is more highly adapted to arboreal life than any other cat in the Americas.
Taxonomy
There has been some revision of this branch of Felidae in recent years. Leopardus was previously regarded as a subgenus of the genus FelisFelis
Felis is a genus of cats in the family Felidae, including the familiar domestic cat and its closest wild relatives. The wild species are distributed widely across Europe, southern and central Asia, and Africa; the domestic cat has been introduced worldwide.Members of the genus Felis are all small...
. The Pantanal
Pantanal Cat
The Pantanal Cat is a small feline of far south-eastern and central Brazil, Paraguay, northern Argentina and Uruguay. It is named after the Pantanal wetlands in central South America, but mainly occurs in grassland, shrubland, savannas and deciduous forests...
and Pampas Cat
Pampas Cat
The Colocolo is a small spotted and striped cat native to the west Andean slope in central and northern Chile. Until recently it included the more widespread Pampas Cat and Pantanal Cat , and some maintain these as subspecies of the Colocolo...
were previously considered subspecies of the Colocolo
Colocolo
Colocolo may refer to:*Colocolo , a Mapuche tribal chief.*Colo Colo creature of the Mapuche mythology.*Colocolo , a South American cat native to Chile.*Colo-Colo, a Chilean football team....
.
Genetic studies indicate that the genus Leopardus forms a distinct clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
within the feline subfamily
Felinae
Felinae is a subfamily of the family Felidae which includes the genera and species listed below. Most are small to medium-sized cats, although the group does include some larger animals, such as the Cougar and Cheetah....
, and first evolved in South America around ten to twelve million years ago. Within the genus, there appear to be two distinct evolutionary lineages; one leading to the Ocelot, Margay
Margay
The Margay is a spotted cat native to Middle and South America. Named for Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied, it is a solitary and nocturnal animal that prefers remote sections of the rainforest. Although it was once believed to be vulnerable to extinction, the IUCN now lists it as "Near Threatened"...
, and Andean Mountain Cat, and the other leading to the remaining species.
The genus does not include the Leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
; that species is in the genus Panthera
Panthera
Panthera is a genus of the family Felidae , which contains four well-known living species: the tiger, the lion, the jaguar, and the leopard. The genus comprises about half of the Pantherinae subfamily, the big cats...
.
Species
- Leopardus colocoloColocoloColocolo may refer to:*Colocolo , a Mapuche tribal chief.*Colo Colo creature of the Mapuche mythology.*Colocolo , a South American cat native to Chile.*Colo-Colo, a Chilean football team....
(MolinaJuan Ignacio MolinaFr. Juan Ignacio Molina was a Chilean Jesuit priest, naturalist, historian, botanist, ornithologist and geographer...
, 1782) – Colocolo - Leopardus braccatusPantanal CatThe Pantanal Cat is a small feline of far south-eastern and central Brazil, Paraguay, northern Argentina and Uruguay. It is named after the Pantanal wetlands in central South America, but mainly occurs in grassland, shrubland, savannas and deciduous forests...
(CopeEdward Drinker CopeEdward Drinker Cope was an American paleontologist and comparative anatomist, as well as a noted herpetologist and ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker family, Cope distinguished himself as a child prodigy interested in science; he published his first scientific paper at the age of nineteen...
, 1889) – Pantanal Cat - Leopardus pajerosPampas CatThe Colocolo is a small spotted and striped cat native to the west Andean slope in central and northern Chile. Until recently it included the more widespread Pampas Cat and Pantanal Cat , and some maintain these as subspecies of the Colocolo...
(DesmarestAnselme Gaëtan DesmarestAnselme Gaëtan Desmarest was a French zoologist and author. He was the son of Nicolas Desmarest and father of Anselme Sébastien Léon Desmarest...
, 1816) – Pampas Cat - Leopardus geoffroyiGeoffroy's CatGeoffroy's Cat is a wild cat in the southern and central regions of South America. It is about the size of a domestic cat. While the species is relatively common in many areas, it is considered to be "Near Threatened" by IUCN because of concern over land-use changes in the regions where it lives...
(d'OrbignyAlcide d'OrbignyAlcide Charles Victor Marie Dessalines d'Orbigny was a French naturalist who made major contributions in many areas, including zoology , palaeontology, geology, archaeology and anthropology....
& GervaisPaul GervaisFor the Canadian parliamentarian see Paul Mullins GervaisPaul Gervais full name François Louis Paul Gervaise was a French palaeontologist and entomologist.-Biography:...
, 1844) – Geoffroy's Cat - Leopardus guignaKodkodThe Kodkod , also called Guiña, is the smallest cat in the Americas and also has the smallest distribution, being found primarily in central and southern Chile and marginally in adjoining areas of Argentina...
(Molina, 1782) – Kodkod - Leopardus jacobitus (CornaliaEmilio CornaliaEmilio Cornalia was an Italian naturalist. He was born in Milan and died in the same city.He was conservator from 1851 to 1866, and director from 1866 till his death, of the Milan Museum of Natural History, and was interested in all areas of biology.He was one of the group of leading scientists...
, 1865) – Andean Mountain Cat - Leopardus pardalisOcelotThe ocelot , pronounced /ˈɒsəˌlɒt/, also known as the dwarf leopard or McKenney's wildcat is a wild cat distributed over South and Central America and Mexico, but has been reported as far north as Texas and in Trinidad, in the Caribbean...
(Linnaeus, 1758) – Ocelot - Leopardus tigrinus (SchreberJohann Christian Daniel von SchreberJohann Christian Daniel von Schreber , often styled I.C.D. von Schreber, was a German naturalist.-Career:He was elected Professor of Materia medica at the University of Erlangen in 1769....
, 1775) – Oncilla - Leopardus wiediiMargayThe Margay is a spotted cat native to Middle and South America. Named for Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied, it is a solitary and nocturnal animal that prefers remote sections of the rainforest. Although it was once believed to be vulnerable to extinction, the IUCN now lists it as "Near Threatened"...
(SchinzHeinrich Rudolf SchinzHeinrich Rudolf Schinz was a Swiss physician and naturalist.Schinz was born at Zurich and studied medicine at Würzburg and Jena, returning to Zurich in 1798 to practice...
, 1821) – Margay