Margay, The Cutest Wildcat Ever, Costa Rica
Ever heard of a cat who’s staple food is meat? Well, meet the Margay. This unique wildcat is nocturnal and lives on meat such as monkeys, rodents, birds, lizards, and insects. They are usually found in remote sections of rain forests. Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica is home for Margays.
Margays are small in stature (5cm tall) and are very light weight (3 to 5 kg). They are about the same size as a large house cat and have a tail more than half the length of their head and body.
This beautiful cat used to be around everywhere in Costa Rica, in thick woods from coastal lowlands to interior mountains. Since it isn’t that big in size and is lovely as a pet, it was not been hunted as voraciously as the ocelot, but its habitat has been extensively deforested for banana groves and pastures. Margays don’t like to live in open areas, and now are confined to forested reserves throughout Costa Rica. One of the most active places for Margays is Corcovado National Park.
The Margays are the best when it comes to climbing trees among all of the neotropical creatures. You may find quite a few resemblances between Margays and Ocelots. Ocelots are also skilled climbers, and both of these cats sleep in trees and make nests in hollows. The margay, like the ocelot, marks branches or other objects with urine. The margay is more nocturnal and solitary than the ocelot, which may travel in pairs and live in groups in captivity. Margays have one or two young per a litter, and don’t breed well in captivity.
Since Margays are nocturnal animals, their preying style can be compared with the one from the Jaguar. Because the Margay is naturally rare in its environment, most of its dietary studies were based on stomach contents and fecal analysis.
Margays used to be so plentiful that it was considered to be a specie that couldn’t go extinct. But with the continuous challenge of global changes, these sweet looking animals are facing extinction according to IUCN. However, Corcovado National Park has taken quite a few important steps so that these beautiful creatures can enjoy their time around.
Marina K. Villatoro, has lived in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for over 10 years. She’s traveled these parts extensively and now loves to organize vacations to these amazing parts of the world. With her first hand experience, she can recommend the best options for you.
