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An endangered Texas native
Ocelots are a beautiful small spotted cat of the Americas. They
range from South Texas throughout Central and South America, and
utilize a wide diversity of habitat types. The northern most sub-species
occurs from Northern Mexico into extreme South Texas and utilizes
dense scrub brush habitat. Conversion of most of this brush land
habitat for agricultural use has caused this sub-species to become
endangered with only 100 - 120 ocelots remaining in Texas.
How they behave
Ocelots are solitary creatures who keep to themselves except during the breeding season. They are crepuscular meaning they are most active during dawn and dusk. They are opportunistic hunters preying on snakes, lizards, birds, rodents, and sometimes fish. When not on the move ocelots spend a great majority of thier day hanging out in the upper limbs of dense tree cover. They are territorial but it is common for territories to overlap. Unlike most cats, the ocelot is a strong swimmer and sometimes sits in running water to cool off.
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