HABITAT
Like leopards, ocelots can adjust to lots of weather. Most ocelots live in hot,
humid rainforests, where they make their dens in hollow tree trunks. But they also live in
swamps and in dry areas where there are not many trees. The ocelot lives in an area
ranging from southeastern Arizona and southern Texas to Paraguay South America.PREDATOR
OR PREY
The ocelot somtimes hunts above ground. The ocelot stalks animals that live in
trees such as monkeys, tree rats, lizards, and birds. When it is on the ground, the
ocelot's claws fold so that it can sneak up on its prey quietly. The biggest creature that
the ocelot hunts is a small deer. One of the ocelot's favorite foods is a big rodent
called an agouti.
FACTS
The ocelot is endangered because people hunt it for its silky coat. Also, some
people have ocelots for pets and don't take care of them, so they die. If they are taken
in young, the ocelot can be tamed and makes a good pet. The tint of its fur varies greatly
in different ocelots, from reddish-yellow to smoky pearl.
WHAT CAN WE DO
To help save the ocelot, people can stop hunting them. Also they can leave them
in the wild and not keep them as pets.
