During dark times I focus on the joy I find in nature. Here are my favorite discoveries about genus Leopardus: 1) the existence of kodkods/güiñas (L. guigna) both spotted & melanistic! These tiny charismatic floofs weigh only 2-2.5kg! Image credits on pics #FelidFriday (1/8)

#2 The ocelot (L. pardalis) is the most well known member of this genus & also the largest, weighing between 8-15.5kg. Thats 4-7.5 kodkods! Ocelots range from Argentina to the southern US; they are the only species in genus Leopardus w/ a (very) small range in the US. (2/8)

#3 Pampas cats (L. colocola) pelage is hugely varied throughout their range & also includes some melanistic individuals. Here is the the latest taxonomic information on pampas cats via @alvaro_garcia_o: https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/advance-article/doi/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa043/5848237?searchresult=1 (3/8)

#4 Margays (L. wiedii) are one of only two wild cat species known to be able to climb down trees head first, with ankles that can rotate 180 degrees. They also have HUGE beautiful eyes that aide their nocturnal lifestyle. (4/8)

#5 There are northern (L. tigrinus) *and* southern (L. guttulus) tiger cats. Northern tiger cats (left pic) are also called oncillas and may have a slightly lighter background pelage than southern tiger cats (right top). There are also melanistic oncillas! (5/8)

#6 Andean mountain cats (L. jacobita) live only at high elevations in the Andes. They are endangered w/ < 2,500 though to live in the wild. They are considered a sacred animal by indigenous Aymara and Quechua people. (6/8)

#7 Geoffrey's cat (L. geoffroyi) lives in Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. They are also pretty small, weighing 2-5 kg, and like many of the above species, melanistic individuals exist, usually in more densely forested areas. (7/8)

Finally, I learned that @NicolasGalvezR studies kodkods/güiñas & @CindyM_Hurtado & @alvaro_garcia_o study pampas cats.Species of genus Leopardus are all gorgeous & charismatic, but definitely in need of conservation efforts!! Lets keep them wild & on the landscape! (8/8)