Pampas cat  (Leopardus colocolo)

Biology

Despite the pampas cat being a fairly common species, there is little data available on its ecology (3). It has a diet primarily of small mammals, such as small rodents and guinea pigs. It also preys on the eggs and chicks of ground-dwelling birds (3). Due to its ability to occupy a wide range of habitats, it is likely to eat any small vertebrate it can catch (2). The pampas cat is thought to be a predominantly nocturnal and terrestrial species (3). It is an adept climber, though it is not clear whether they use this skill for hunting or just for escaping from predators (7).

The little available information regarding the breeding behaviour of this species comes from the study of captive species; a female first reproduced at the age of two years, and gestation lasted for 80 to 85 days. The litter size varies from one to three, and the average life span is nine years, but some have lived for over 16 years (3) (5).

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