Diet of the ocelot, <i>Leopardus pardalis</i> (Carnivora: Felidae), in the Neotropical region: a review analysis and new data from central Brazil

Hannibal, Wellington; Oliveira, José S.P. de; Figueiredo, Valquiria V.; Cabral Filho, Rafael G.; Sampaio, Lucas de O.; Oliveira, Kárita G. de; Claro, Hermes W.P.

doi:10.1590/S1984-4689.v42.e24072

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SHORT COMMUNICATION • Zoologia (Curitiba) 42 • 2025 • https://doi.org/10.1590/S1984-4689.v42.e24072 linkcopy

Diet of the ocelot, Leopardus pardalis (Carnivora: Felidae), in the Neotropical region: a review analysis and new data from central Brazil

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

This study reports new data on the diet of the ocelot, Leopardus pardalis, in the Brazilian Cerrado, and reviews the literature data on the diet of the species in the Neotropical region, based on 22 studies. One hundred and twenty-one vertebrate species, in addition to arthropods and plants, are consumed. The highest diversity of prey items, mainly small mammals, was revealed by scat analysis, the most common method used. Analysis of road killed specimens also revealed new dietary records. The wide prey selection, influenced by availability and habitat, enables the ocelot to thrive despite environmental disturbances. This dietary flexibility underscores the importance of diverse sampling methods to fully understand ocelot feeding behavior and habitat needs.

KEYWORDS:
Feeding behavior; rodents; scat; small prey; stomach

Prey	Commom name	Source
Mammalia
Didelphimorphia
Didelphidae
Caluromys derbianus	Central American Woolly Opossum	6
Didelphis albiventris	White-eared Opossum	23a
Didelphis aurita	Brazilian Common Opossum	7, 10a, 10b, 11
Didelphis marsupialis	Common Opossum	1, 2, 3, 6
Gracilinanus microtarsus	Brazilian Gracile Opossum	8
Gracilinanus sp.		7, 10b
Lutreolina crassicaudata	Little Water Opossum	9
Marmosa demerarae ^{A, B}	Woolly Mouse Opossum	2, 9
Marmosa murina	Linnaeus’s Mouse Opossum	10a
Marmosa spp.		2, 3
Marmosops noctivagus ^C	White-bellied Slender Mouse Opossum	2
Marmosops sp.		5
Metachirus nudicaudatus	Brown Four-eyed Opossum	2, 9, 10a, 19
Monodelphis americana	Northern Three-striped Opossum	7, 10b
Monodelphis domestica	Grey Short-tailed Opossum	10a
Monodelphis scalops	Long-nosed Short-tailed Opossum	9
Monodelphis sp.		5, 8, 11, 13
Philander quica ^D	Southeastern Four-eyed Opossum	9
Philander opossum	Gray Four-eyed Opossum	6
Tlacuatzin canescens ^E	Grayish Mouse Opossum	4
Cingulata
Chlamyphoridae
Cabassous sp.		23b
Euphractus sexcinctus	Yellow Armadillo	9
Dasypodidae
Dasypus novemcinctus	Nine-banded Armadillo	1, 5, 6, 8, 9
Dasypus sp.		7, 10a, 10b, 19
Pilosa
Bradypodidae
Bradypus variegatus	Brown-throated Sloth	5, 6
Bradypus sp.		1
Choloepodidae
Choloepus didactylus	Linné’s Two-toed Sloth	12
Choloepus hoffmanni	Hoffmann’s Two-toed Sloth	6
Cyclopedidae
Cyclopes didactylus	Silky Anteater	6
Myrmecophagidae
Tamandua mexicana	Northern Tamandua	6
Tamandua tetradactyla	Southern Tamandua	9, 14, 19
Primates
Atelidae
Alouatta guariba ^F	Southern Brown Howler Monkey	8, 7, 10b
Brachyteles hypoxanthus	Northern Muriqui	7, 10b
Pitheciidae
Callicebus personatus	Atlantic Titi	10a
Cebidae
Cebus capucinus	Colombian White-throated Capuchin	6
Saguinus fuscicollis	Saddleback Tamarin	2
Saimiri sciureus	Guianan Squirrel Monkey	2
Sapajus apella ^G	Black-capped Capuchin	7, 10a, 10b
Sapajus nigritus	Black-horned Capuchin	16
Lagomorpha
Leporidae
Lepus californicus	Black-tailed Jackrabbit	15
Sylvilagus brasiliensis	Tapeti	2, 6, 7, 10a, 10b, 11
Sylvilagus floridanus	Eastern Cottontail	15
Rodentia
Caviidae
Cavia sp.		7, 10a, 10b
Cricetidae
Akodon cursor	Cursor Grass Mouse	16
Akodon sp.		5, 7, 8, 10b, 11, 13, 16
Baiomys musculus	Southern Pygmy Mouse	4
Brucepattersonius iheringi	Ihering’s Hocicudo	8, 13
Calomys sp.		7, 10a, 10b, 16
Euryoryzomys cf. emmonsae	Emmons’s Rice Rat	19
Euryoryzomys russatus ^H	Russet Rice Rat	5, 13
Handleyomys melanotis ^I	Black-eared Rice Rat	4
Holochilus brasiliensis	Southern Amazon red squirrel	8, 11
Necromys lasiurus	Hairy-tailed Bolo Mouse	8, 19
Necromys sp. ^J		7, 10b
Nectomys squamipes	Common Water Rat	8, 13
Neotoma micropus	Southern Plains woodrat	15
Nyctomys sumichrasti	Sumichrast’s vesper rat	4
Oligoryzomys flavescens	Yellow Pygmy Rice Rat	13
Oligoryzomys nigripes	Black-footed Pygmy Rice Rat	8, 13
Oligoryzomys spp.		2, 5, 7, 8, 10b, 13
Onychomys leucogaster	Northern grasshopper mouse	15
Oryzomys spp.		1, 2, 3, 9
Oxymycterus cf. amazonicus	Amazonian hocicudo	19
Oxymycterus spp.		9, 16
Reithrodontomys fulvescens	Fulvous harvest mouse	4, 15
Rhagomys sp.		19
Sigmodon hispidus	Hispid Cotton Rat	1, 15
Sigmodon mascotensis	Jaliscan cotton rat or Mexican cotton rat	4
Sooretamys angouya	Rat-headed rice rat	13
Thaptomys nigrita	Blackish grass mouse	8, 13
Xenomys nelsoni	Magdelena Wood Rat	4
Zygodontomys brevicauda	Short-tailed cane mouse	3
Cuniculidae
Cuniculus paca ^K	Paca	2, 6, 7, 10a, 10b
Dasyproctidae
Dasyprocta azarae	Azara’s agouti	8, 14, 19
Dasyprocta leporina ^L	Brazilian agouti	1, 10a
Dasyprocta punctata	Central American Agouti	6
Dasyprocta variegata	Brown agouti	2
Myoprocta pratti	Green Acouchi	2
Echimyidae
Clyomys laticeps	Broad-headed Spiny Rat	14
Phyllomys sp.		10a
Mesomys hispidus	Ferreira’s spiny tree-rat	2
Proechimys guairae	Guaira Spiny Rat	3
Proechimys semispinosus	Tome’s spiny rat	6
Proechimys spp.		1, 2, 19
Thrichomys pachyurus	Paraguayan punaré	14
Trinomys sp.		7, 10a, 10b
Erethizontidae
Coendou longicaudatus	Long-tailed Porcupine	2, 20
Coendou quichua ^M	Andean porcupine	6
Coendou sp. ^N		8, 7, 10a, 10b
Geomyidae
Geomys personatus	Texas pocket gopher	15
Heteromyidae
Chaetodipus hispidus	Hispid Pocket Mouse	15
Heteromys anomalus	Caribbean Spiny Pocket Mouse	1
Heteromys irroratus ^O	Mexican spiny pocket mouse	15
Heteromys pictus ^P	Painted spiny pocket mouse	4
Perognathus merriami	Great Basin Pocket Mouse	15
Peromyscus leucopus	White-footed mouse	15
Peromyscus perfulvus	Tawny Deer Mouse	4
Muridae
Mus musculus	House mouse	10a
Rattus rattus	House rat	10a
Sciuridae
Guerlinguetus aestuans	Brazilian squirrel	7
Guerlinguetus brasiliensis ^Q	Brazilian squirrel	10a, 10b
Hadrosciurus spadiceus		2
Sciurus granatensis	Red-tailed squirrel	6
Sciurus sp.		5
Eulipotyphla
Cryptotis parvus ^R	North American least shrew	15
Notiosorex crawfordi	Crawford’s gray shrew	15
Chiroptera
Emballonuridae
Saccopteryx bilineata	Greater Sac-winged Bat	17
Phyllostomidae
Artibeus obscurus ^S	Dark fruit-eating bat	2
Micronycteris megalotis	Little big-eared bat	17
Micronycteris sp.		2
Sturnira sp.		1
Carnivora
Mustelidae
Eira barbara	Tayra	10a
Procyonidae
Bassaricyon alleni	Eastern Lowland Olingo	2
Nasua narica	White-nosed Coati	6
Nasua nasua	South American Coati	11, 14
Potos flavus	Kinkajou	10a
Procyon cancrivorus	Crab-eating Raccoon	10a
Procyon sp.		6
Artiodactyla
Cervidae
Mazama temama	Central American Red Brocket	6
Mazama sp.		10a, 14
Odocoileus virginianus	White-tailed Deer	4, 15
Ozotoceros bezoarticus	Pampas Deer	14
Subulo gouazoubira ^T	Gray Brocket	8
Tayassuidae
Dicotyles tajacu ^U	Collared Peccary	6, 10a
Sus scrofa	Wild boar	14
Tayassu pecari	White-lipped Peccary	19
Unidentified Mammals
Mammalia		7, 10a, 10b
Small mammals		6
Bats		2, 6, 18, 22
Dasypodidae		8
Didelphimorphia		9, 11
Didelphidae		7, 10a, 10b, 14, 16
Primates		2
Rodentia		1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10a, 10b, 11, 16, 19
Cricetidae		13
Muridae		3, 8, 9, 14, 16
Oryzomyinae		7, 10a, 10b
Birds
Galiformes
Cracidae
Penelope superciliaris	Rusty-margined Guan	9
Passeriformes
Corvidae
Cyanocorax yncas	Green Jay	15
Icteridae
Icteria virens	Yellow-breasted Chat	15
Mimidae
Mimus polyglottos	Northern Mockingbird	15
Passeridae
Passer sp.		15
Turdidae
Sialia currucoides	Mountain Bluebird	15
Piciformes
Picidae
Dryocopus sp.		1
Picumnus cirratus	White-barred Piculet	11
Tinamiformes
Tinamidae
Nothura maculosa	Spotted Nothura	8
Tinamus solitarius	Solitary Tinamou	9
Unidentified Birds
Birds		2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10a, 10b, 11, 13, 14, 16
Passeriformes		5
Accipitridae		5
Cracidae		5
Amphibia
Anura
Hylidae
Trachycephalus “vermiculatus” ^V	Milky Treefrog	1
Leptodactylidae
Leptodactylus bolivianus	Bolivian White-lipped Frog	1
Unidentified Amphibia
Amphibia		14
Reptiles
Squamata
Colubridae
Apostolepis sp.		23b
Chironius sp.		1
Iguanidae
Ctenosaura pectinata	Guerreran Spiny-tailed Iguana	4
Iguana iguana	Common Green Iguana	6
Iguana sp.		3
Phrynosomatidae
Sceloporus sp.		15
Polychrotidae
Polychrus marmoratus	Many-colored Bush Anole	10a
Scincidae
Brasiliscincus agilis ^W	Atlantic Forest Small-headed Skink	10a
Teiidae
Ameiva ameiva	Giant Ameiva	7, 10a, 10b, 23b
Salvator merianae ^X	Black-and-white Tegu	7, 9, 10a, 10b
Tropidoutidae
Tropidurus gr. torquatus	Amazon Lava Lizard	10a
Viperidae
Bothrops mattogrossensis	American lanceheads	14
Unidentified Reptiles
Reptile		3, 13
Amphisbaenidae		8
Caiman		2
Colubridae		5, 8, 9, 10a, 14
Lacertilia		2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10a, 10b, 14, 16
Serpentes		2, 6, 7, 9, 10a, 10b
Serpentes/Lacertilia		2
Squamata		8
Teiidae		4, 7, 10b, 14
Testudines		6
Viperidae		16
Fishes
Unidentified Fish		2
Invertebrate
Unidentified Invertebrate		7, 10a, 10b
Arthropods
Crab		3
Decapoda		1
Insects		2, 4
Acrididae		1
Beetle		3
Coleoptera		1, 14
Orthoptera		14
Plants matter
Plantae		3, 7, 10a, 10b
Cyperaceae		6
Dicotyledon		3
Grass		1, 2, 4
Monocotyledon		3
Oryza latifolia	Broadleaf Rice	21
Plant matter		4
Seeds		4
Unidentified scaly lumps		2
Other materials
Eggs		8
Plastic		4

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[TFN1] Sources according Supplementary Table S1: 1. Bisbal (1986); 2. Emmons (1987); 3. Farrel et al. (2000); 4. Meza et al. (2002); 5. Wang (2002); 6. Moreno et al. (2006); 7. Bianchi and Mendes (2007); 8. Abreu et al. (2008); 9. Martins et al. (2008); 10a, b. Bianchi et al. (2010); 11. Rocha-Mendes (2010). 12. Delibes (2011); 13. Silva-Pereira et al. (2011); 14. Bianchi et al. (2013); 15. Booth-Binczik et al. (2013); 16. Santos et al. (2014); 17. Tinoco-Lopez et al. (2015); 18. Contreras-Moreno et al. (2019); 19. Tirelli et al. (2019); 20. Griffiths et al. (2020); 21. Montalvo et al. (2020); 22. Macas-Pogo et al. (2023). 23a, b. This study. Old names cited in the studies: ^A Marmosa cinerea, ^B Micoureus demerarae, ^C Marmosa noctivaga, ^D Philander frenata, ^E Marmosa canescens, ^F Alouatta clamitans, ^G Cebus apella¸ ^H Oryzomys intermedius, ^I Oryzomys melanotis, ^J Bolomys sp, ^K Agouti paca, ^L Dasyprocta aguti, ^M Coendou rothschildi, ^N Sphiggurus sp., ^O Liomys irroratus, ^P Liomys pictus, ^Q Guerlinguetus ingrami, ^R Cryptotis parva, ^S Artibeus fuliginosus, ^T Mazama gouazoubira, ^U Pecari tajacu, ^V Phrynohyas venulose, ^W Mabuya cf. agilis, ^X Tupinambis merianae.