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Very little is known about this spotted cat. As one of the smallest cats in the Americas, it weighs between 4 and 8 pounds. The oncilla also is known as the little spotted cat, little tiger cat and tigrillo, and it is often confused with the margay. The oncilla lives in South America in the forests, savannas and scrub lands of Costa Rica, Brazil and Venezuela. It eats rodents and insects. The oncilla has a friendly call which sounds like a gurgle and is used at close distances. Because of their admired fur, oncillas have been one of the most heavily hunted small wildcats in South America. Hunting of oncillas has dropped dramatically in the last 20 years, but it continues today. Deforestation and continued hunting pursuits are its major threats.

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