Editing Ocelot (section)

=== Subspecies ===
In 1919, Allen reviewed the specimens described until 1914, placed them into the genus ''Leopardus'' and recognized nine [[subspecies]] as [[Valid name (zoology)|valid]] [[Taxon|taxa]] based on the colors and spot patterns of skins.<ref name=Allen1919 /> In 1941, Pocock reviewed dozens of ocelot skins in the collection of the Natural History Museum and regrouped them to nine different subspecies, also based on their colors and spots.<ref>{{cite book |author=Pocock, R. I. |year=1941 |chapter=The Races of the Ocelot and the Margay |pages=319–369 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/papersonmammalog271fiel/page/320 |title=Papers on mammalogy published in honor of Wilfred Hudson Osgood |editor=Field, S. |publisher=Field Museum of Natural History |volume=27 |location=Chicago}}</ref> Later authors recognized 10 subspecies as valid.<ref>{{cite journal  |last1=Goldman |first1=E. A. |year=1943 |title=The races of the Ocelot and Margay in Middle America |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |volume=24 |issue=3 |pages=372–385 |jstor=1374838 |url=http://bio-nica.info/Biblioteca/Goldman1943.pdf|doi=10.2307/1374838 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Cabrera, A. |author-link=Ángel Cabrera (naturalist) |year=1957 |title=Catálogo de los mamíferos de América del Sur |series=Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia e Instituto Nacional de Investigacion de las Ciencias Naturales |volume=Ciencias Zoologicas 4 |publisher=Casa Editora "Coni" |location=Buenos Aires}}</ref><ref name=msw3 />

In 1998, results of a [[mtDNA control region]] analysis of ocelot samples indicated that four major ocelot groups exist, one each in Central America, northwestern South America, northeastern South America and southern South America south of the [[Amazon River]].<ref name="eizirik">{{cite journal |last1=Eizirik |first1=E. |last2=Bonatto |first2=S. L. |last3=Johnson |first3=W. E. |last4=Crawshaw Jr. |first4=P. G. |last5=Vié |first5=J. C. |last6=Brousset |first6=D. M. |last7=O'Brien |first7=S. J. |last8=Salzano |first8=F. M. |name-list-style=amp |title=Phylogeographic patterns and evolution of the mitochondrial DNA control region in two neotropical cats (Mammalia, Felidae) |journal=Journal of Molecular Evolution |date=1998 |volume=47 |issue=5 |pages=613–624 |doi=10.1007/PL00006418 |pmid=9797412 |bibcode=1998JMolE..47..613E|s2cid=19865180 }}</ref> A 2010 study of morphological features noted significant differences in the size and color of the Central and South American populations, suggesting they could be separate species.<ref>{{cite thesis |last1=Nascimento |first1=F. O. do |title=Revisão taxonômica gênero do ''Leopardus'' Gray, 1842 |trans-title=Taxonomic revision of genus ''Leopardus'' Gray 1842 |type=PhD Thesis |date=2010 |doi=10.11606/T.41.2010.tde-09122010-104050 |publisher=University of Sao Paulo |location=Sao Paulo |language=pt |url=https://teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/41/41133/tde-09122010-104050/publico/FO_Nascimento.pdf|doi-access=free }}</ref> In 2013, a study of [[Craniometry|craniometric]] variation and [[microsatellite]] diversity in ocelots throughout the range recognized three subspecies: ''L. p. albescens'' from the Texas–Mexico border, ''L. p. pardis'' from Central America and ''L. p. pseudopardalis'' from South America, though ''L. p. mitis'' may comprise the ocelot population in the southern part of South America.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ruiz-García |first1=M. |last2=Corrales |first2=C. |last3=Pineda-Castro |first3=M. |name-list-style=amp |editor1-last=Ruiz-García |editor1-first=M. |editor2-last=Shostell |editor2-first=J. M. |title=Molecular Population Genetics, Evolutionary Biology, and Biological Conservation of Neotropical Carnivores |date=2013 |publisher=Nova Publishers |location=New York |isbn=978-1-62417-071-3 |pages=289–332 |chapter=Craniometric and microsatellite genetic differentiation among putative ocelot subspecies (''Leopardus pardalis'') |chapter-url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267843436}}</ref>

In 2017, the Cat Classification Task Force of the [[IUCN]] Cat Specialist Group noted that up to four subspecies can be identified, but recognized only two as valid taxa. These two taxa differ in [[Morphology (biology)|morphological]] features and are geographically separated by the [[Andes]]:<ref name=catsg>{{cite journal |author1=Kitchener, A. C. |author2=Breitenmoser-Würsten, C. |author3=Eizirik, E. |author4=Gentry, A. |author5=Werdelin, L. |author6=Wilting, A. |author7=Yamaguchi, N. |author8=Abramov, A. V. |author9=Christiansen, P. |author10=Driscoll, C. |author11=Duckworth, J. W. |author12=Johnson, W. |author13=Luo, S.-J. |author14=Meijaard, E. |author15=O'Donoghue, P. |author16=Sanderson, J. |author17=Seymour, K. |author18=Bruford, M. |author19=Groves, C. |author20=Hoffmann, M. |author21=Nowell, K. |author22=Timmons, Z. |author23=Tobe, S. |name-list-style=amp |year=2017 |title=A revised taxonomy of the Felidae: The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group |journal=Cat News |issue=Special Issue 11 |pages=47–48 |url=https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/32616/A_revised_Felidae_Taxonomy_CatNews.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y}}</ref>
* ''L. p. pardalis'' has a greyish fur. Its range extends from [[Texas]] and [[Arizona]] to [[Costa Rica]].
* ''L. p. mitis'' has a more yellowish fur and is larger than ''pardalis''. It occurs in South America as far south as northern [[Argentina]].