Margay
Scientific name: Leopardus wiedii
IUCN listed as: Near Threatened
Learn before you visit!
Here are some facts about the species – Discover what they eat, find out about their natural habitat, see what they like to do, and more… Set the reading style to suit you too, everyday speak or something aimed towards children.
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Diet
Margays are adept hunters, dining primarily on small mammals, birds, and insects found in the forest canopy. Their sharp claws and keen senses enable them to capture prey with precision, often stalking from above.
Margays are like tree detectives, hunting for small animals such as mice, birds, and bugs in the forest canopy. They use their sharp claws and keen eyes to catch their prey, often lurking from above like stealthy ninjas.
Breeding
Breeding occurs at specific times of the year, with females giving birth to one or two kittens after a gestation period of 76 to 84 days. The kittens are dependent on their mother for care and protection until they are ready to explore their forest habitat.
When it’s time to start a family, female margays have one or two kittens after waiting for about three months. These kittens are born blind and rely on their mum’s care and protection until they’re ready to explore the big forest world.
Habitat
Margays inhabit dense forests throughout Central and South America, including rainforests and mangrove swamps. Their arboreal lifestyle sees them spending much of their time in trees, aided by their cryptic coat pattern for camouflage.
You can find margays swinging around in the lush forests of Central and South America, from rainforests to mangrove swamps. They love living in trees, where their fur blends in perfectly with the leaves and branches.
At the zoo
In UK zoos, margays receive special care to ensure their well-being. They inhabit spacious enclosures with trees, branches, and platforms to mimic their forest habitat. Their diet is carefully balanced to include a variety of meat and supplements to keep them healthy. Enrichment activities such as climbing structures and hiding food encourage natural behaviours and keep them mentally stimulated. Zoos also participate in conservation efforts to protect wild margay populations and their habitats.
In UK zoos, margays are looked after very well. They live in big areas with trees and places to climb, just like their forest homes. They eat a mix of meat and other good things to stay healthy. Zoos also give them fun things to do, like climbing and finding their food. People also work hard to help keep margays safe in the wild and make sure their homes stay protected.
Behaviour
Solitary and nocturnal, margays are expert climbers, using their long tails for balance as they move through the forest canopy. Their unique ankle rotation allows them to climb headfirst down trees, giving them an advantage in capturing prey. With their secretive nature and superb climbing skills, margays are well-suited to life in the treetops of the rainforest.
Margays are like secret agents of the night, spending most of their time alone and only coming out when it’s dark. They’re amazing climbers, using their long tails to balance as they move through the treetops, hunting for dinner with their super sneaky skills.
Fun facts
- Tree-top Tricksters: Margays are skilled climbers, darting through the forest canopy with ease.
- Stealthy Hunters: Under the cloak of night, they quietly stalk their prey, using their sharp senses to pounce.
- Camouflage Kings: Their beautiful coat patterns blend seamlessly with the foliage, keeping them hidden from predators and prey.
- Tail Swingers: Long, bushy tails help them balance as they move through the trees.
- Mighty Minis: Despite their small size, margays are fierce hunters, taking down much larger prey with ease.
- Tree-dwelling acrobats: Margays swing through trees with ease.
- Nighttime hunters: Stealthy and silent, they prowl for prey after dark.
- Forest ninjas: Their fur blends perfectly with tree bark, making them invisible.
- Tail balancers: Long tails help them leap from branch to branch.
- Small but fierce: Margays take down big prey despite their size.
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