Geoffroy's cat - EFBC's Feline Conservation Center
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Geoffroy's cat
Geoffroy's Cat
(Leopardus geoffroyi)
Geoffroy's cats, listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, are native to southern and central regions of South America. Geoffroy's cats are small in sice, weighing in between 4 to 11 pounds fully grown. Their coat is uniformly patterned with small black spots of nearly equal size and spacing. Coat color can range from red to gray, with melanistic (black colored) specimens common. Geoffroy's cats will often sit up on their hind legs while using their tail for balance, to scan the area for potential threats. They are primarily nocturnal and solitary. Researchers have found that they only pair up during mating seasons.
The species has been exploited commercially since the international cat skin trade boomed in the late 1960s, with nearly 350,000 skins exported from Argentina alone between 1976 and 1979. Trade volumes remained high into the 1980s as trade in ocelot pelts declined, averaging 55,000 per year between 1980-1984. Paraguay and Bolivia were the main exporters (in contravention of national legislation) during this time, although it is believed that the bulk of these skins were smuggled in from Brazil and Argentina. International trade has since declined - no significant trade has been reported since 1988. Paraguay and Uruguay remain as important domestic markets for pelts. However, most pelts in trade today are derived from cats killed as pests and livestock predators, and commercial hunting as it existed in the past has essentially ceased.
Xeno
Sex: Male
Born: Spring 2003
Arrived at EFBC: March 2008
Arrived at EFBC: March 2008
Fun Fact: Was illegally owned, he was surrendered to EFBC in March of 2008.
Favorite Enrichment: Frozen whole prey, paper lawn bags, cardboard boxes
Wishlist item: Snack Shack
