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The genus Leopardus consists of small spotted cats mostly native to Central and South America. Very few range into the southern United States. The genus is considered the oldest branch of the part of the cat family to cross into the Americas, followed by the genera Lynx and Puma. (The Jaguar is the other extant cat native to the Americas.) The largest species in Leopardus is the Ocelot; most of the other species resemble domestic housecats in size. The genus does not include the Leopard; that species is in the genus Panthera. Members of the genus are:
- Colocolo (Leopardus colocolo)
- Pantanal Cat (Leopardus braccatus)
- Pampas Cat (Leopardus pajeros)
- Geoffroy's Cat (Leopardus geoffroyi) Common species in much of South America.
- Kodkod (Leopardus guigna) Smallest cat native to the Americas.
- Andean Mountain Cat (Leopardus jacobitus) Rare and elusive, with a distinctive long tail.
- Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis)
- Oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus)
- Margay (Leopardus wiedii) Highly adapted for arboreal life.
There has been some revision of this branch of Felidae in recent years. Leopardus was previously regarded as a subgenus of the genus Felis. The Pantanal and Pampas Cat were previously considered subspecies of the Colocolo.
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