Ask for one for Christmas.
See the black around the muzzle? The first picture is not a cougar, young or otherwise. The second picture is - you can see that black.
While young cougars are spotted, those spots while they might last faintly until ~2 years have faded pretty thoroughly even by six months. And that animal in the first shot above has definite bands and stripes mixed in with the spots. That head also looks too massive to be a youngster. The head also looks to big for a savannah cat. No, ocelot is probably the correct ID.
The JPG + PNG situation seems to square with it being somebody having a laugh.
The first image was shared singly in a post. The second one was in a ‘gallery’ (i.e., click the arrow to page through the photos). I saved the first one from the post, and the second one from the ‘gallery’ to my desktop and then uploaded them. I don’t know if that had any effect on their formats.
None of them have the combination of stripe behind the eye and one on the neck like the animal in the photo. And they have much larger pointed ears.
I’m not sure why you are trying to come up with an alternative identification when the animal in the OP has the exact markings of an ocelot.
No, you’re not. I was going to ask if I was the only one who couldn’t see any cat in that photo when I came across your post and took one more look… And the head still looks entirely wrong to me for any sort of cat; looks more like a cow, though not right for that also.
Well, yes, it does, and i agree that is the most likely by far.
But stopping the search for house cat varieties at the ocicat was not going far enuf. There are many wild looking varieties. In fact the ocicat, IMHO and a former Bengalcat owner, is the least wild looking and isnt even a hybrid.
Between @Colibri’s highly informative posts (and apparent familiarity with the animal in question) and your very detailed explanation, I’m inclined to agree. Whether or not the picture was taken in where it was alleged to have been, it seems to show an ocelot, not anything else.
Again, in no way do i think it is anything but a ocelot. But my point was some domestic cat hybrids have odd markings and the ocicat in no way looks anything like that.
Which was the point I made by bringing up the ocicat myself in post #7.
Well, yes, a ocicat doesnt look like that but neither does a maine coon, nor a persian or any of a couple dozen domestic cats. The fact that a ocicat doesnt look like the picture doesnt rule out that it could be some other hybrid breed.
Now, yes, it looks most like a ocelot, most likely a escaped pet. Next most likely is a fake. Next most likely is one of the unusual domestic cat hybrids.
Which has zero probability. No domestic cat breed looks exactly like an ocelot. The heavy muscular head and the massive shoulders of the animal in the picture also differ from domestic cats. (Some ocelots are more delicate, but this one is especially powerfully built and probably a male.
I once had a project that involved identifying animals in camera trap photos. I’ve identified ocelots in dozens of such photos. This involved distinguishing them from the very similar margay.
And you replied- no, it doesn’t look like a ocicat. Which is true. It doesnt look like a Maine coon cat either.
Excluding the ocicat alone doesnt really answer Babales post.
The variation on the domestic hybrids is so immense that even a ocelot face look alike is possible.
FYI- there are even ocelot/domestic cat hybrids.
I do think both @Colibri and @Tamerlane have fully addressed my question with detailed explanations of the issues with both alternative theories (a hybrid cat or a young puma). I defer to their expertise and agree with what they’ve said, this is definitely an ocelot. I consider my question completely answered.
That is the most likely. But of course ocelots dont live up there, so if it was, it was a escaped pet. I talked to my buddy who is fairly senior in the Washington State Patrol and he said he hadnt ever heard of anyone having ocelots for pets, but he then said “there’s all sort of crazy shit out there”. He said altho ocelots arent specified he’d thinks that they’d come under “Other dangerous animals”…It is illegal to own animals that pose a threat to people, livestock, or domestic animals, and it is illegal to possess any wild animals.
Chapter 16.30 RCW
But they arent in pet stores.
So, it is unlikely but not impossible.
Also Ugly Little Boys and Hobbits…
I can see the argument now.
“Margay!”
“Ocelot!”
“Margay!”
“Ocelot!”
“Maaargaay!”
“Ocelot!”
Because they are not native to the area?
I vote hoax. Much more probable than an escaped Ocelot. I would think a pet would have trouble getting food in the wild. A pet would probably not be quite as nocturnal either. That and hunger + familiarity with humans makes me think if it was an escaped pet there would be more sightings.
It’s an Ocelot, but probably a pic grabbed from the internet.
That might be more plausible if it weren’t such a crappy photo, and if the person who posted it hadn’t called it a cougar.
I didn’t say they were a good hoaxer.
;~)
Honey West!
Does no one else remember?