Information on the Tigrillo Cat

Identification

• One of the smallest wildcats in Central America and South America, tigrillos often seem almost like domestic cats. Their weight ranges between 4 lbs to 8 lbs, with the males usually slightly larger than the females. Their body length can be anywhere between 30 to 39 inches, with a height of about 10 inches. They might seem fragile, with the slight bones and small head. A tigrillo's characteristic coat has a pattern of dark brown or black spots and blotches on a background of light brown, ochre, yellowish or grayish. The spots might extend to the limbs and develop into rings on the long tails. The undersides have the lightest color on the entire body, sometimes with black spots. The round eyes are a golden color and the black ears have white spots on them.

Behavior

• Despite their small frames, tigrillos are great hunters, preying on small rodents, small primates, birds, insects and reptiles. The tigrillo's nimble and athletic bodies are adapted to tree climbing, and they move easily on tree branches. A tigrillo lives a solitary life, sleeping during the day and awake during the night. Male tigrillos are territorial creatures, often becoming aggressive towards the females. Young tigrillos can communicate by purring, and adults can produce friendly, short, rhythmic calls. Tigrillos might be tolerant of human activities, as they have lived in the metropolitan areas of Sao Paolo and Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Habitat

• The tigrillos hail from South America and Central America, in particular Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay and Peru. The tigrillo prefers living in montane cloud forests at elevations of 1,500 meters to 4,500 meters. However, they also live in subtropical forests, savannahs and semiarid thorny scrub. Captive tigrillos live with private breeders in North America and zoological parks in Europe and South America.

Reproduction

• Tigrillos are solitary creatures, only coming together during the mating season in early spring and summer, when the males approach the females. After mating, the males leave and the females go through pregnancy in 70 to 78 days. A litter usually consists of one or two kittens, and a female could produce one or two litters a year. Kittens stay with their mothers for four months. The males become sexually mature at 18 months, and the females usually give birth to their first litters at 24 months. In captivity, tigrillos experience a high infant mortality rate, so private breeders and zoological parks are turning towards management programs to encourage normal reproductive behavior.

Threats

• Tigrillos face threats of deforestation and hunting. Much like the jaguar, margay, ocelot and snow leopard, hunters exploit tigrillos for their fur. According to the International Society for Endangered Cats, tigrillos were one of the four most exploited small cats between 1976 and 1982. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species restricts tigrillo trade, sale of pelts, hunting and capturing for pet trade. However, Ecuador, Guyana, Nicaragua and Peru still allow hunting of the tigrillo.