Research overview: oncilla use of highland and montane habitats

In parts of its range the oncilla occupies high-elevation habitats, including montane cloud forest and paramo-like grasslands, and this overview reviews this aspect of its ecology. Records from the Andes and from high ground in Central America show the species persisting at considerable altitude, sometimes in open or grassland-dominated landscapes unusual for a small spotted cat. This use of highland habitat reflects the ecological breadth of the oncilla complex and may distinguish certain populations or lineages. Understanding the species presence in montane systems is valuable because such habitats face their own pressures from agriculture and climate change, and because high-elevation oncilla populations may be ecologically and genetically distinct, warranting specific conservation attention.