The margay

Margays (Leopardus wiedii) are small wild cats found in Central and South America. It is a nocturnal solitary cat that lives primarily in primary evergreen and deciduous forests. Until the 1990s, margays were illegally hunted for the wildlife trade, resulting in a significant population decline. The margay has been designated as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List since 2008 because the population is thought to be falling due to habitat loss caused by deforestation. In honor of Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied, who gathered specimens in Brazil, Heinrich Rudolf Schinz adopted the scientific name Felis wiedii in his first scientific description of the margay in 1821.

The margay is primarily nocturnal, though it has been seen hunting during the day in some regions. It prefers to spend the majority of its time in trees, but it does travel on the ground, particularly when traveling between hunting locations. During the day, it sleeps in inaccessible branches or liana clumps. It is typically solitary and has home ranges of 11-16 km2 (4.2–6.2 sq mi). It marks its territory with scents, like urine spraying and scratch marks on the ground or on branches.

The margay is an expert tree climber when it comes to hunting. In fact, sloths avoid predators by hiding high up in the jungle canopy. As a result, they cannot be safe in the canopy until a proficient climber like the margay appears. They can be attacked from above by birds that swoop down, and from below by margays who can climb up and seize them. Although there is evidence of margays hunting and killing sloths, it also feeds on monkeys, birds, eggs, lizards, tree frogs, and arthropods. It also consumes grass, fruit, and other plants, most likely to aid digestion. A story from 2006 of a margay chasing squirrels in its native habitat proved that the margay can chase its prey totally in trees. However, margays have been observed hunting on the ground and eating terrestrial species such as cane rats and guinea pigs.