From the mountains in the Sonoran desert, to the foothills of the Argentinian Andes,
and all the jungles in between, lives a predator perfectly adapted to this wide range of habitats.
This lone wanderer prowls the jungles at night, picking up prey with every passing kilometre.
This is the prince of the jungle, the Ocelot.
In the world of small cats, the Ocelot is a hulk.
While not nearly as large as the reigning king of big cats,
the Jaguar, the Ocelot is the largest member of their genus,
Leopardus, measuring just under a metre long, and weighing up to 15 kilograms.
These are the largest small cats in South and Central America.
Having conquered over 9 million square kilometres,
Ocelots are a highly versatile species, thriving on land, in trees and in the water.
As a result they have footwear built for all sorts of topography.
Their paws are massive and allow them to thrive in many environments - they have all-terrain paws.
While they have conquered everything from mangroves, to grasslands, marshes,
and arid scrubland, the environment they thrive in is tropical forest.
Wherever they choose to live, they require fairly dense foliage.
In thick forest cover they have the advantage of trees.
Ocelots are excellent climbers, allowing them to ambush prey and escape less agile predators.
Their coats are perfectly designed for their chosen habitats.
They are covered in rosettes, blotches and uneven streaks
meant to emulate dappled sunlight on the forest floor.
Ocelots are silent, agile and well-camouflaged.
A deadly combination.
Primarily active at dusk, dawn and throughout the night, these cats
spend their time patrolling their territory, covering up to 6.7 kilometres every night.
For every kilometre they walk, they will catch something new to eat.
An adult male Ocelot needs to eat a minimum of 800 grams a day
in order to survive, so they're always on the lookout for their next meal.
They primarily eat small rodents and reptiles, but on occasion they will go after larger prey,
like juvenile deer and squirrel monkeys if they're quick enough.
This Ocelot has caught the scent of a tasty little critter.
She takes her time looking for it.
Her patience pays off.
She drops out of the tree and onto her target.
An Ocelot never lets its prey escape.
Males maintain territories of up to 45 square kilometres,
marking their territories by spraying urine.
And oh, how they spray.
They will also mark their territory with their scent glands,
in a display that isn't quite as graceful as you'd expect from an Ocelot.
They use their scent to communicate with other Ocelots.
While Ocelots are proud creatures and prefer to hunt alone,
they will meet up with other Ocelots when it's time to mate.
They will mate with multiple partners throughout their lives.
If the mating is successful, gestation lasts 12 weeks,
after which, the mother will give birth to one to three kittens.
While born with their eyes closed, these kitties grow up fast.
They're weaned by six weeks of age, and begin the process of learning to be an Ocelot.
The kittens are very playful, and arguably the cutest things on the planet.
These kittens are practicing hunting by sneaking up on their prey - their mom,
and then pouncing - tearing their target to shreds with adorableness.
They hang around very close to their mothers for a few months before gaining more independence.
They reach full size at about 10 months of age and become sexually mature at 15 months,
though their mating success depends on whether or not they control their own territory.
Ocelot young may stay with their moms for over a year,
but if after two years they haven't left on their own, she'll kick them out.
Thanks to their massive range and adaptability,
Ocelots are currently listed as a species of least concern.
This is a big rebound for the population,
as in the 19th and early 20th century, Ocelot pelts were all the rage.
A coat made of Ocelot pelts could cost over 30,000 US dollars,
as it requires several animals to make it.
But thanks to many different conservation efforts, as well as most countries banning Ocelot hunting
and trafficking in the 1960s, their populations have rebounded over the past 30 years.
While their numbers aren't as strong as we'd like them to be,
the Ocelot is set to remain on its throne.
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