Margay

		Margay
		He is a wild animal


Origin			Central and South America
Translation			Francis Vandersteen

The possession of this animal is not authorized Royal Decree establishing the list of mammals not kept for production purposes that may be kept (M.B. 24.08.2009)

The margay, also known as tiger cat or New Spain wildcat, is a small feline found in the tropical forests and scrublands of Central and South America.

The margay weighs from 2 to 4 kg on average. Males measure 50 to 100 cm, with tails up to 50 cm long. Females do not exceed 60 cm and their tails average 40 cm. Longevity is close to that of the domestic cat, reaching 20 years in captivity. Its short, soft, yellow-brown coat turns white on the belly, chest and nape. Dark markings, similar to those of the ocelot, enhance the back and flanks, while the tail is ringed. The tops of the ears are black with light spots.

The margay is a small feline (subfamily Felinae): the hyoid bone making up the hyoid arch is completely ossified, in contrast to that of large felines (subfamily Pantherinae). It cannot roar by vibrating it, but simply purrs continuously with its breath.

The margay is mainly threatened by poaching and the fur trade. The few measures taken have only reduced the number of individuals hunted or sold as exotic pets, but illegal trafficking continues and many margays are still killed.

The margay is the best acrobat in the feline family. Its joints are highly flexible and mobile. Its hips can swivel at an angle of almost 180 degrees, and its ankles can also move at a greater angle than those of most felines. As a pendulum, the margay has a very long tail, though not as long as that of its Asian cousin, the marbled cat, another great acrobat. The margay can suspend itself by a single leg, run upside down from branches or descend from a tree upside down, like a squirrel. It has also been observed to behave in a way that is unique among felines: when it reaches the top of a tree, it lets itself fall, paws wide apart, claws out, and hangs onto a branch as it falls. Its exceptional agility enables the margay to spend a good part of its life among the branches, without really needing to return to the ground.

The margay is an essentially arboreal nocturnal predator, although it has been observed hunting on the ground. It rarely comes out during the day, preferring to rest in the trees. However, the margay is very active at night, when it roams alone in search of prey over a relatively vast territory for a feline of its size in such a rich environment: 11 to 16 km2. The margay stalks small mammals (rodents, small monkeys), birds, lizards and frogs. Although it usually catches them by surprise, using the hunting technique preferred by felines, a margay has been known to use a unique ruse within its family. A margay was observed imitating the distress call of a young two-tone tamarin (small monkey) to attract adults. This ruse has been compared to the use of tools in other species. Proof that felines are smarter than you might think!