Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Leopardus pardalis
Tigrillo, Ocelote, Ocelot
"Two ocelots were brought to Santiago in 1937 for the purpose of breeding and selling the offspring as ‘‘tigers’’ to yachtsmen traveling to the island (Conway and Conway, 1947). Approximately 3 months after being introduced to the island the Governor of the Galápagos ordered the ocelots killed since, ‘‘it was against the law to import beasts of prey to the Galápagos, lest they escape to stock the islands and kill off the useful animals.’’ The owner was allowed to leave and take the animals back to the mainland" (Phillips et al. 2012).
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Carnivora
Family
Felidae
Genus
Leopardus
Species
pardalis
Taxon category: Accepted
Origin: Introduced - not established
Year of first record: 1937
Year of introduction: 1937
Mode of introduction: Intentional
Introduction Pathway: Intentional
Subpathway: Animals for breeding
Introduced status: Eradicated
- Conway, A. Conway, F. (1947) The enchanted islands Conway A, Conway F (1947) The enchanted islands. Putnam’s Sons, New York
- Phillips, R. B. D.A. Wiedenfeld and H.L. Snell (2012) Current status of alien vertebrates in the Galápagos Islands: invasion history, distribution, and potential impacts. Biol Invasions (2012) 14:461–480 DOI 10.1007/s10530-011-0090-z
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This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Leopardus pardalis", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=25375. Accessed 5 November 2026.