Pampas Cat Oncifelis colocolo
Credit:BIG CATS ONLINE

The Pampas cat or also Grass cat inhabits most of the regions in western central South Africa, from Ecuador and Chile to Argentina and the neighboring countries. Depending on the area of the cat's habitat, there are several different subspecies: O.c. braccatus (Brazil, N. Argentina), O.c. budini (Argentina), O.c. colocolo (Central Chile), O.c. crespoi (N.W. Chile), O.c. garieppi (Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia), O.c. munoai (Uruguay), O.c. paajeros (Argentina, Chile), O.c. thomasi (Ecuador).

In appearance the Pampas cat resembles a large domestic cat. It is 56-70cm long and weighs about 3-7kg. Its fur is comparatively long, ranges from grey to yellow brown or dark brown and is covered with horizontal stripes or streaks of dark brown. The underparts and legs of the animal are usually lighter in color. The felid's head is small and is marked with white around its eyes and nose.

Little is known of the cat's lifestyle- of its breeding and hunting habits. The litter size is 2 kittens on the average and they live up to an age of about 9-16 years. The animal feels equally at home on grassland plains, in dense equatorial forests and high mountain scrub. According to the prey variety in these regions, the cat is believed to feed on small mammals, rodents and birds and, in areas close to human habitation (especially the coastal areas of Chile), it is known to take domestic poultry.

The Pampas cat is hunted for its fur and is listed in CITES Appendix 2 as least concern.