There are several thousand different species of animal in Mexico; it’s one of only eighteen countries in the world that is classified as ‘megadiverse’. Its jungles hold wonders that are rarely seen in other parts of the continent, including the big cats. The jaguar is the most well-known of the predatory felines which roam the jungle, and the country is also home to cougars, pumas, and jaguarundis. Many residents of the southwestern United States may also be familiar with the ocelot, a medium-sized wild cat with beautiful rosettes on its fur and large, round eyes. Their habitat extends over a large part of Central America as well as the American South.
However, there is another cat in the jungles of Yucatan, one which looks like an ocelot, but is actually quite different. This is the maragay, a spitted cat which weighs between five and nine pounds, with a body length of roughly two feet. This solitary, nocturnal feline was named for Price Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied, a German explorer and naturalist who explored Brazil in the 19th century.
Maragays are smaller than their ocelot cousins, and have brown fur marked with rows of black or brown spots and streaks. It has a short head, huge round eyes, and long legs. One of the most noted things about the species, which sets it apart from the ground-dwelling ocelots, is the maragay’s love of climbing trees; it’s been called the ‘tree ocelot’ due to its tendency to spend its entire life among the branches and leaves of the forest. It can climb head-first down trees like a squirrel, one of only two cat species which can do so, and it has been observed hanging by one foot from branches.
The maragay, like most other felines, is solitary, and eats small animals, birds, and lizards. They have been observed mimicking the calls of its prey in an effort to lure them, and have even been heard imitating the distress call of an infant tamarin monkey so that the adults come to investigate. If you’re curious about these clever and unique creatures, keep an eye out in Cancun. But don’t fear; maragays are very rarely seen in the wild and a resort like Viva Beach Oasis will not appeal to their sensitive ears or eyes.