Kod Kod

The kodkod, also called guiña, is the smallest felid species native to the Americas. It lives primarily in central and southern Chile, as well as marginally in adjoining areas of Argentina. Main predators of kodkods are humans and dogs. Kodkod hides and sleeps in dense vegetation during the day. Kodkods are agile hunters and mainly hunt on the ground. The cats in southern Chile prey mainly on small mammals like rodents, marsupials and rabbits, but also on birds, lizards and invertebrates. They occasionally take carrion and predate on poultry. Behavior. There is very little information about the behavioral characteristics of the kodkod. The kodkods are very secretive, shy and solitary creatures primarily dwelling in deep forests with dense vegetation. They are seldom seen in clearings, with the males ranging more widely than the females. Kodkods are equally active during the day and during the night, although they only venture into open terrain under the cover of darkness. During the day, they rest in dense vegetation in ravines, along streams with heavy cover, and in piles of dead gorse.

Mass: 4.9 lbs (Adult)

Conservation status: Vulnerable (Population decreasing)

Scientific name: Leopardus guigna

Family: Felidae