Margay
From Costa Rica Travel Guide: Vacation and Travel tips
Margays in Costa Rica
Now extinct in the United States, the margay wanders the rainforests from Mexico to Argentina. The Margay is easily confused with the smaller Oncilla as well as the larger Ocelot. Although it happens, it’s rare for the largest Margay to be bigger than the smallest Ocelot. The Ocelot has smaller eyes and a proportionately smaller tale. Another subtle difference is in the markings of the two similar cats. In Margays, the rosette markings are usually distinct, where as in Ocelots the rosettes tend to blend together, forming broad, uneven bands on the sides of the body. The Margay weighs on average 18 lbs, and has a body length of 22 inches with a tail length of approximately 15 inches.
For the most part, the Margay is solitary and nocturnal. Studies show, the Margays in Costa Rica are most active from about 1:00 and 5:00am. Of the wildcats that live in Costa Rica, the Margay is the most arboreal. This cat is an exceptionally agile climber, and literally built for trees. The Margay’s tail is proportionately larger than that of other cats, assisting with balance and as a counterweight when leaping from branch to branch. The Margays claws are also proportionately longer, which improves its ability to grip trunks and branches. The Margay has the distinction of being one of only two cat species (the Clouded Leopard being the other) that can climb head-first down a tree, instead of backing down while holding on with its claws. These two cats share a special feature with squirrels and some raccoon relatives- they’re hind ankles are exceptionally flexible due to the atypical arrangement of bones between the toes and ankle. This arrangement allows the hindfeet to rotate backward 180 degrees enabling them to grip tree limbs firmly, thus, headfirst. A fully outstretched margay can catch itself with a single paw when leaping from branch to branch. This cat has incredible leaping ability as it can jump vertically 8 ft with seemingly little effort.
With all these physical attributes it should come to no surprise that the Margay catches the majority of its food off the ground. Based on stomach matter and fecal examination it is known that Margay cats feed on mice, squirrels, rabbits, young agoutis and pacas, and various amphibians and reptiles. Margays will also eat birds of any size.
The gestation period for a margay is about two and a half months. Margays only have one set of nipples, so unlike oncillas and ocelots, they will usually only give birth to one kitten at a time. They will leave the den in about five weeks, and stop nursing at about two months. Margay cats reach sexual maturity at about two years of age and they can live in captivity for about 20 years.
Like Ocelots, Margays were heavily hunted for their fur in the 1960’s, ‘70’s and early ‘80’s. The fur trade is not the threat it once was, but in Costa Rica they are still pursued by hunters and poultry farmers. Deforestation also has an effect on the Margay, as it does not seem to do well in disturbed habitats.
