Conservation statusĪs a species, ocelots are not endangered, according to the IUCN. However, the IUCN's Cat Specialist Group says more recent molecular analysis has detected only four distinct clusters, so the taxonomy of ocelots is under review. Kingdom: Animalia Subkingdom: Bilateria Infrakingdom: Deuterostomia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Infraphylum: Gnathostomata Superclass: Tetrapoda Class: Mammalia Subclass: Theria Infraclass: Eutheria Order: Carnivora Suborder: Feliformia Family: Felidae Subfamily: Felinae Genus: Leopardus Species: Leopardus pardalis Here is the classification of ocelots, according to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS): They live to around 13 years, on average. Females become sexually mature at 18 to 22 months old and males become sexually mature around 15 months old. Kittens may live in their mother's territory for up to two years before setting off on their own. Born with sealed eyes, kittens gain their first glimpse of their mother at 14 days old. Kittens are very small at birth, weighing only 7 to 12 ounces (200 to 340 grams). If the female does become pregnant, she will have a gestation period of around 79 to 85 days and will give birth to one to three babies. They must mate so many times because it is very hard to get a female ocelot pregnant. Male and female ocelots mate between 5 and 10 times daily during mating season, according to the University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web (ADW). (Image credit: Jamie Delk/Woodland Park Zoo.) Offspring To prevent waste, ocelots will hide their prey and come back to finish it when they are hungry again. Typically, their prey includes frogs, iguanas, rabbits, fish, crabs, rodents, monkeys and birds, according to National Geographic. Then their sharp incisors tear meat from the bone and their back teeth cut the meat into smaller pieces like scissors. They are picky eaters they will remove the fur and feathers from their prey before they eat it. As carnivores, ocelots have special teeth for eating meat. They are carnivores, so they only eat meat. Ocelots hunt prey on the ground and climb trees to hunt, as well. Ocelots are not roaring cats instead they "chuckle" when excited and may "mutter" to one another, according to the San Diego Zoo. Male territories often overlap with several females' territories. They typically have ranges of 2.4 to 56 square miles (4 to 90 square km) for males and 0.62 to 46.6 square miles (1 to 75 square km) for females. Each night, they travel 1 to 5 miles (1.6 to 8 kilometers) to hunt, and kill one animal per every 3.1 hours of travel, according to Defenders of Wildlife. These solidary wild cats are nocturnal, which means they are active during the night and sleep during the day.
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