Ocelot, Take 2 *(Correction—Margay)
Here’s another photo from my ocelot encounter when I was in the Peruvian Amazon back in late October. This exposure seemed to be a bit brighter than the first one I shared. As mentioned previously, this was one of the more exciting sightings of my years in the wild — spotted along a river bank while heading back to the lodge late at night. I didn’t actually see the ocelot from the boat, but my guide did, so we set out on foot and after searching around for about five minutes, we saw it again in the rainforest where it posed for a few portraits. Note the three porcupine quills stuck in the ocelot’s right shoulder, no doubt a lesson learned. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/8 at 1/125th of a second, Godox V860iii flash on a remote bracket.
*Some wild cat experts saw this post and believe it to actually be a margay, an even more rare cat to see in the wild. It looks very similar to an ocelot, but smaller and with bigger eyes. The definitive way to tell the difference is the tail, but I didn’t get any shots of the tail.
Stunning!
Thanks Honora. I’ve since found out that this cat is actually a margay, and not an ocelot.
[to the tune of “You can’t always get what you want” by The Rolling Stones]
You can’t always get ocelot
but if you try sometimes
you just might find
you get a small cat
You’re going to need a new jingle now that I found out the cat is actually a margay.
Fantastic! How exciting to see an ocelot in real life. Beautiful eyes.
Thanks Jennifer. Even more exciting when some wild cat experts saw my post and let me know it’s actually a margay, an even more rare cat.
I wish I could pull those quills out. Magnificent photo.
Ha, yes, although much like if a dog has a tangle with a porcupine, you need to resist the urge to pull them out because of their reverse barbs. Best for the trained experts to extract them.
How large are they in comparison to other wild cats>
The markings look like a combination of leopard spots and tiger stripes. Is that correct?
Those eyes…….they appear in this picture to be much larger tan any other large cats.
They are about 3′ long, not including the tail, and and can weigh between 18-44 lbs. Compare that to a jaguar than can weigh 200 lbs. So ocelots are one of the smaller wild cats. Another comparision, which may be more familiar, is our bobcat. It comes in between 15-30 lbs.
Hey Mom, not much bigger than a house cat. And yes, they have spots and stripes. And the large eyes are what led some wild cat experts to let me know that it’s actually a margay and not an ocelot (which makes it an even better find.)
I’ve been watching quite a few documentaries on the ocelot. What an elegant wild cat. I’ve read that the relatively new breed of housecats, the ocicat, has a very familar pattern in it’s fur. No wonder ocicats are so popular, not only because of the resemblance, but because they have wonderful personalities for a housecat. The cost for one is very pricey!
You’ve captured perfectly the delicate details of the ocelot. The eyes are so large. I had to look up their range:: southern Texas [numbers declining] and through Mexico, central America and south America. What luck you had in getting this shot!
I started watching the documentary “Wildcat” on Prime. But much to my surprise, some wildcat experts have informed me that this is most likely a margay and not an ocelot. The larger eyes were the giveaway. They are very similar looking otherwise, although slightly smaller.
LOVE!!!!
Sean, I’ve been away from email for a while, but found this photo stunning: ethereal, like the cat itself. And I’m so happy for you, and your fans, that you got to photograph such a rare creature.