Profile by Phil Crosby

Geoffroy's cat

Oncifelis geoffroyi

A black Geoffroy's cat

Although most Geoffroy's cats are spotted, some individuals are completely black.

Life span
Geoffroy's cats live for up to 14 years.

Statistics
Body length: 44-75 cm, Tail length: 25-35 cm, Shoulder height: 23 cm, Weight: male: 4.8 kg, female: 4.2 kg.

Physical Description
Geoffroy's cats in the north have a reddish/yellow base fur, and in the south, a grey base fur. Black individuals are fairly common. Their bodies are covered with small black evenly-spaced spots which merge into stripes over the neck, face and chest. Their tails are over half their total body length and are striped.

Distribution
Geoffroy's cats are found in southern South America, east of the Andes.

Habitat
They inhabit a variety of habitats but prefer thick cover and scrubland.

Diet
Geoffroy's cats hunt small mammals, reptiles, birds, fish and amphibians.

Behaviour
Geoffroy's cats are good swimmers and are primarily nocturnal and solitary. They are partially arboreal - most of their scats (faeces) are found in the crooks of large tree branches and mating probably takes place in the boughs. Female ranges overlap with each other, but male ranges do not seem to.

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