Ocelot, << OS uh lot or OH suh lot, >> is a medium-sized animal of the cat family. It is sometimes known as the leopard cat or tiger cat of North and South America. It is 31/2 to 4 feet (107 to 120 centimeters) long including the tail, which is 15 inches (38 centimeters) long. The ocelot stands 16 to 18 inches (41 to 46 centimeters) high at the shoulder. The ocelot lives in an area ranging from southeastern Arizona and southern Texas to Paraguay in South America. It spends most of its life on the ground but often hunts in forest trees and is an agile climber. It eats mice, wood rats, rabbits, snakes, lizards, birds, young deer, and monkeys. In the tropics, a favorite food is agoutis.
The ground tint of ocelot fur varies greatly in different animals, from reddish-yellow to smoky-pearl. Black spots vary in size from dots on the legs and feet to large shell-shaped spots on other parts of the body. The ocelot has a pink nose and large, translucent eyes.
Ocelots have been widely hunted for their fur, and their number has decreased sharply. Laws that prohibit the hunting of ocelots have been hard to enforce.
