Origin
Geoffroyi's cat (Leopardus geoffroyi) belongs to the order Carnivora, family Felidae. It can be found in various habitat types from Central South America to southern South America.
It lives in Brazil (southern part of the country), Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia. It can also be found in the Andes Mountains. It prefers forested, swampy or pampas mountain regions. It is also found in regions with low vegetation in search of food. It was seen from sea level up to an altitude of 3300 meters.
The number of specimens in nature has only greatly decreased in recent years due to habitat loss and excessive hunting for the manufacture of fur coats. Today Geoffroyi's cat is protected by law, it can no longer hunt. Between the 1960s and 1980s it was extensively hunted for fur. More than 60% of deaths in Argentina are caused by domestic dogs and car accidents.
It can also be found in literature or other foreign publications under the names: Geoffroy's Cat, Gato De Mato, Gato Montes Comune, Chat De Geoffroy, Geoffroy's Ocelot. Also used is the scientific name Felis geoffroyi which from what I have seen is wrong.
The name geoffroyi comes from the French naturalist Etienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire(1772-1844). Several species of animals bear his name today. (cat, monkey, coral, fish, marmoset, bat). It is one of the most widespread felines to be seen in open areas of South America.
Geoffroyi's cat food
As mentioned above Geoffroyi's favorite hunting area is the wooded one. How is a very greedy animal it has a very diverse diet that varies, but most of all it feeds on small rodents.
Geoffroyi's cat feeds on small mammals (mice, guinea pigs, rodents), reptiles, fish, frogs, etc.it also hunts birds, climbs trees easily, eats their eggs and chicks in nests. He's not a native fisherman but he's not starving either. She swims well and manages to catch fish in fast rivers.
Appearance Geoffroyi's cat
An adult cat has body length between 40 and 46cm, height almost 25cm and weight between 3 and 6kg. There are exceptions of 7-8kg. The ringed tail is 25-35cm long.
The robust body supports the relatively small head and rounded ears. The eyes are large and almond-shaped. The muzzle ends with moustaches that are very important for smell and movement and with a split upper lip.
The legs are quite robust. The iris varies from Golden to greenish-gray.
The coat is golden yellow and covered with spots all over the body outside the tail which is ringed and the head which shows small stripes. As with most felines the coat is darker on the back, including the ears which are dark on the outside, and light on the belly, even white.
Males are larger than females. Although all individuals have dark spots, the color of the coat varies from region to region.
In the north the individuals have darker fur, their color being brownish-yellow, and in the south tends to gray. Melanism can occur in both wild and captive cats.
Leopardus geoffroyi geoffroyi-central Argentina
Leopardus geoffroyi euxantha - Northern Argentina and western Bolivia
Leopardus geoffroyi leucobapta-Patagonia
Leopardus geoffroyi paraguae – Paraguay, southern Brazil, Uruguay, Northern Argentina
Leopardus geoffroyi salinarum-Argentina
Geoffroyi's cat behavior
Both male and female clearly delineate their territory and guard it. I don't allow any intruders to approach. They generally avoid human settlements, they are as discreet as possible. The territory of the male extends over an area of about 10km while that of the female on only 4-5km. The male realizes that the female is in heat by the sounds made by it, traces of urine and smell.
An unusual behavior in Geoffroyi's cat is the habit of standing on its hind legs longer to visually override the surroundings. The cat maintains its balance with the help of the tail. This habit is more common in other animals, in felines it is rarer.
It is a nocturnal animal. He spends most of his time on earth although he is a good climber and swimmer.
Breeding Geoffroyi's cat
Like many other felines, Geoffroyi's cat lives solitary outside the breeding season. During the mating season, which lasts from October to March, the two sexes look for each other. Most births take place in December and may. The heat period in the female lasts up to 12 days, during which time she is sensitive to the male's gestures. Mating takes place in trees. After a gestation of 70-80 days the female gives birth to 1-3 Cubs in a "borrowed" Burrow usually which may be a cave, a tree hollow or a burrow.
The male does not participate in raising and feeding the offspring. After mating it resumes its solitary life.
At birth the cubs weigh less than 100 grams, do not see and are entirely dependent on their mother. After about a week they begin to open their eyes, and after three to walk on their feet.
The female breastfeeds them until the age of 3 months, the age at which they learn to hunt on their own. Females reach sexual maturity at the age of 18 months and males at the age of 24 months.
If the mother loses her cubs she mates again and gives birth to another series of Cubs. The life expectancy of Geoffroyi's cat is 14 years. The oldest cat lived in captivity until the age of 20.
