Margay

The margay is a small wild cat native to the forests of Central and South America, closely resembling the larger ocelot but built for a more fully arboreal life. Its ankles can rotate nearly 180 degrees, an adaptation shared with few other cats, allowing it to climb down tree trunks head first and even hang from branches by a single hind foot while pursuing prey. It hunts mainly at night, preying on small mammals, birds, lizards, and insects, spending much of its life in the forest canopy rather than on the ground. Its spotted, ocelot-like coat has made it a historical target of the fur trade, and ongoing deforestation across its range continues to threaten its population.