Leopardus
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Leopardus[1]
Ocelot, Leopardus pardalis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae Subfamily: Felinae Genus: Leopardus Gray, 1842
Species
See text

The genus Leopardus consists of small spotted cats mostly native to Central and South America. Very few range into the southern United States. The genus is considered the oldest branch of the part of the cat family to cross into the Americas, followed by the genera Lynx and Puma. (The Jaguar is the other extant cat native to the Americas.) The largest species in Leopardus is the Ocelot; most of the other species resemble domestic housecats in size. The genus does not include the Leopard; that species is in the genus Panthera. Members of the genus are:

• Colocolo (Leopardus colocolo)
• Pantanal Cat (Leopardus braccatus)
• Pampas Cat (Leopardus pajeros)
• Geoffroy's Cat (Leopardus geoffroyi) Common species in much of South America.
• Kodkod (Leopardus guigna) Smallest cat native to the Americas.
• Andean Mountain Cat (Leopardus jacobitus) Rare and elusive, with a distinctive long tail.
• Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis)
• Oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus)
• Margay (Leopardus wiedii) Highly adapted for arboreal life.

There has been some revision of this branch of Felidae in recent years. Leopardus was previously regarded as a subgenus of the genus Felis. The Pantanal and Pampas Cat were previously considered subspecies of the Colocolo.

References

v • d • e Extant species of family Felidae Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Mammalia · Order: Carnivora · Suborder: Feliformia Felinae Felis Chinese Mountain Cat (Felis bieti) · Domestic Cat (Felis catus) · Jungle Cat (Felis chaus) · Pallas's Cat (Felis manul) · Sand Cat (Felis margarita) · Black-footed Cat (Felis nigripes) · Wild Cat (Felis silvestris) Prionailurus Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) · Iriomote Cat (Prionailurus iriomotensis) · Flat-headed Cat (Prionailurus planiceps) · Rusty-spotted Cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) · Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) Puma Cougar (Puma concolor) · Jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi) Acinonyx Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) Lynx Canadian Lynx (Lynx canadensis) · Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx) · Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus) · Bobcat (Lynx rufus) Leopardus Pantanal (Leopardus braccatus) · Colocolo (Leopardus colocolo) · Geoffroy's Cat (Leopardus geoffroyi) · Kodkod (Leopardus guigna) · Andean Mountain Cat (Leopardus jacobitus) · Pampas Cat (Leopardus pajeros) · Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) · Oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus) · Margay (Leopardus wiedii) Leptailurus Serval (Leptailurus serval) Caracal Caracal (Caracal caracal) Profelis African Golden Cat (Profelis aurata) Catopuma Bay Cat (Catopuma badia) · Asian Golden Cat (Catopuma temminckii) Pardofelis Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmorata) Pantherinae Neofelis Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) · Bornean Clouded Leopard (Neofelis diardi) Panthera Lion (Panthera leo) · Jaguar (Panthera onca) · Leopard (Panthera pardus) · Tiger (Panthera tigris) Uncia Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia) Category · Portal

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