The Margay is a beautiful cat with spots, native to Central and South America. This feline loves exploring the dense rainforests, and is often compared to their relative, the Ocelot. However, what sets the Margay apart is their amazing ability to climb trees, making them one of the most agile tree-dwelling cats in the world.
The Margay is a small wild cat that enjoys hunting under the cover of darkness, similar to the Sand Cat. It usually hunts alone and weighs between 6 to 20 pounds (2-9kg), with its body length matched by a long tail. The Margay is well-suited for climbing trees due to its physical attributes, such as its long legs, flexible joints, and lengthy tail, which allow it to gracefully move through trees. Staying in trees helps keep the Margay safe from predators, and its tail provides balance and ease of movement from branch to branch. Interestingly, the Margay can hang upside down on a single hind leg and turn its ankles outward by 180 degrees, allowing it to attach itself with two feet and reach for food with its front legs, setting it apart from other felines.
When it comes to hunting, the Margay possesses big, round eyes that offer excellent night vision and glow brightly in the dark. These mysterious creatures prefer to reside in remote, sparsely populated areas where they feed on a variety of prey, such as rats, opossums, birds, insects, monkeys, and squirrels.
The beautiful wild cats are known for their remarkable capacity to thrive for as long as two decades while being kept in captivity.
