I am the ocelot, and I am indigenous to the jungles of Costa Rica. I am the largest representative of the small wild cats, and I am approximately one meter in length. I have markings including black spots, stripes, and rosettes on my back and my glossy fur ranges from cream to reddish to gray. My neck and belly are white with black markings. I have small rounded ears and relatively short tails. I am usually 17 to 22 pounds. I live on the ground and I rarely ever climb trees. I hunt primarily at night and my diet consists of rodents, but also other small prey including birds, fish, snakes, lizards, land crabs, and insects. I normally spend most of my day under the brush and in dense areas with lots of shade. I am very territorial. I get my daily excersize hunting at night. Humans stalk me, but most animals cannot find me because I am hidden during the day. I am hunted for my fur and I have been an endangered species since 1972. My normal life span is 8 to 11 years. The major cause of death of my species is humans hunting me. My species is now legally protected. The biggest threats to the ocelot population is deforestation and habitat destruction.
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