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THE OCELOT EFFECT
Establishing the power force of the dominant mid-sized felid, the ocelot, as the major influence on the smaller tropical species population dynamics in the Neotropics – the ocelot effect!
The ocelot appears to be the species with the biggest influence on the Neotropical felid community dynamics, causing an increase or decrease of the smaller species populations – the “ocelot effect”
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This finding matters for conservation efforts, as the smaller species protection will rely mostly outside protected areas.
The ocelot effect on film:
The dominant mesopredator, the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), attempting to kill the crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous).
Source: Unknown, from Instagram
How can the dominant predator affect its subordinate competitors:
![Interspecific Interactions](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b2c61f_d84d0deb38834b0fa7aecfff5351de0af002.jpg/v1/fill/w_600,h_338,enc_auto/file.jpeg 1x, https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b2c61f_d84d0deb38834b0fa7aecfff5351de0af002.jpg/v1/fill/w_1200,h_675,enc_auto/file.jpeg 2x)
Interspecific Interactions
The potential of being killed alters the subordinate species' behavior. The ocelot exerts the same effect on the smaller cats.