Still more threatened than the Ocelot, the Margay Cat hardly differs from this last one, excepted by its slightly smaller size. Its tail is exceptionally long and acts as a crucial balancing aid when the animal is moving fast through the branches.

It is the most arboreal of all feline species and it is capable of climbing actions to which no other cat can aspire. Uniquely, it can rotate its hind feet through 180 degrees ! It can leap through the trees almost as acrobatically as a monkey. It is so adapted to an arboreal existence that it hunts, nests and mates above ground.

It spends the day hidden in hollow trees or undergrowth, where it hunts rodents, rabbits and birds. The rarity of this species has been increased by widespread illegal hunting for its beautiful pelt, and by massive deforestation that reduces its favoured habitat.

The Tiger Cat, (Felis tigrina) is also known as the Little Spotted Cat or the Oncilla . This is one of the smallest of the South American cats, with a delicate build. Its coat is covered in dark spots which may have pale centres. However, melanism is common and one in five is reported to have a black coat. It is an extremely shy, forest-dwelling species and little is known of its natural history.

It hunts for small mammals and birds and is said to be an efficient climber. The litter size is small - only one or two kittens. Because of the banning of other wild cat species, the Tiger Cat became the major source of wild skins for the fur trade in the 1980s, leading to an annual slaughter that reached a peak in 1987, with 84,500 animals killed. Because of the widespread hunting and the loss of habitat, this cat, like most other species of wild felines, is becoming increasingly less common.