Heyuan City, Guangdong Province is located in northern Guangdong. It is a place with a relatively superior ecological environment. Wild animal and plant resources are relatively abundant in the province, especially in recent years, thanks to the achievements in ecological construction and animal protection. , the number of wild animals also began to increase.
As the number of wild animals increases, correspondingly, the probability of being encountered by people when they go down the mountain forest is greater. In fact, this is indeed the case. Compared with earlier years, there have been more incidents of people encountering rare wild animals. For example, recently in Longchuan County, Heyuan City, Guangdong, a villager discovered a national second-level animal at his door. Protected animal ocelot.
my country is considered a "big country of cats". Among the 40 species of cats in the world, 13 species are distributed in my country, ranking among the top in the world.
Among the 13 species of cats in my country, there is one that is petite and looks like a cat. It has the widest distribution range and is found in large numbers from the south to the north. This small cat is Ocelot.
Leopard cat is its scientific name, and it also has many other names. For example, it was also called "money cat" or "copper coin cat" in ancient times based on the characteristics of its markings; based on its physical characteristics, it was also called "money cat". It is called "Shanli", "Mali", etc. In some areas in southern my country, it is more customary to call it "Stone Tiger".
"Stone tigers" appear at the doorstep, cute and cute
Although leopard cats are nationally protected wild animals, they are actually not too rare because they are very adaptable. , both in the south and the north, there are relatively large populations. For example, even in big cities like Shenzhen, there are leopard cats.
When Mr. Zhu, a villager in Longchuan, was checking the surveillance, he suddenly found a "cat" at his door, but this cat was different from ordinary domestic cats.
It has a slender body, relatively long limbs, and its body is covered with copper coin-like markings. The ocelot looked around at the door, lingered for a while, and then got into the grass next to it.
At first, Mr. Zhu thought it was an ordinary wild cat, but after looking carefully, he realized something was wrong. After checking online, he determined the identity of this "cat". It turns out that this is a leopard cat, also known as "stone tiger" among the people.
The surveillance screen showed that it came to the village with a light gait and tiptoed, looking around, looking playful and cute. In addition, it can also be seen that it is very alert and constantly observing the surrounding environment. , apparently to pay attention to whether there are people, or to pay attention to the movements of chickens, ducks and other poultry, in order to gain something.
However, there is a mountain spring in front of the villager's house, so it is not ruled out that this ocelot came to drink water. Because of.
Ferocious personality and strong hunting ability
After a long period of domestication, cats are now kept as common pets for people. Their wild nature has long faded, so their personalities are relatively Tamed.
Although the ocelot looks like a cat, its personality is very different from that of a domestic cat. To be precise, it is a small beast with a very ferocious personality. They generally live in mountains. They are found in forest areas and bushes, and occasionally around villages or in urban suburbs.
Ocelots are highly adaptable to the environment and are distributed from south to north. They are commonly known as mice, flying squirrels, squirrels, It feeds on small animals such as birds and insects, and its hunting skills are very superb.
Felines are basically skilled hunters, and the ocelot is one of the best because it is good at climbing and swimming. Therefore, it is also known as the "all-round hunter".
Ocelots are as good at climbing trees as primates. They can also be flexible in trees and can capture small birds that live in trees. They can also steal bird eggs and eat them. Ocelots are also very good at swimming and can catch fish in shallow water areas.
In daily life, ocelots often go to places near water sources such as ponds, rivers, and rice fields. They move locally and capture prey by ambush. Although ocelots have a wide range of diets, "it is natural for cats to catch mice." In the diet composition of ocelots, various rodents account for the vast majority.
Loves to act at night and has strong ability to catch chickens
Ocelots are nocturnal animals and like to be active in the early morning or after evening. During the day, they usually hide in trees, rock crevices and other shelters to rest, and become active in the evening.
It is not difficult to understand. The schedule of many predators is based on their prey. The main prey of ocelots are mice and other rodents.They are accustomed to being active at night, so it is not surprising that ocelots also move at night. Under the premise that there is a general lack of medium and large predators in southern forests, ocelots have become the mainstream beasts in the south.
Did you know? In many places, in addition to the name "Stone Tiger", ocelot cats also have a more resounding nickname, which is "Chicken Catching Tiger". As the name suggests, they sneak into villages and steal chickens, ducks and other poultry.
Some ocelots living near Linyuan Village will secretly go down the mountain at night, sneak into the village, sneak into the chicken coop, and hunt wildly. Their ability to steal chickens is no less than that of weasels, and they are even more lethal than weasels.
At first, people blamed weasels for the "chicken-stealing" incidents. Later, as more and more cases were discovered, the ocelots were named "chicken-catching tigers."
Leopard cats are a relatively common cat in Guangdong. They can be found in Shaoguan, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Qingyuan and other places. The river source is also one of the main habitats of ocelots.
In recent years, Heyuan has continuously increased its efforts to protect wild animals and build habitats. Wild animal resources have been continuously enriched. The discovery of ocelots is nothing new.