Where Do Ocelots Actually Live in the US?
Ocelots live in 2 US states and are confirmed absent from 40 more, based on 18,028 verified iNaturalist and GBIF records. This page covers every state at once instead of one near-identical page per state.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself.
The states with the strongest confirmed populations are New Mexico and Texas. These are real, verified iNaturalist and GBIF occurrence records, not modeled range estimates.
Ocelots have zero confirmed wild sightings in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana and Iowa, or 30 other states, despite tens of thousands of nationwide observation records for the species. That is a real, checked absence, not a missing page.
Confirmed states (2)
Not found (40)
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arkansas
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Vermont
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Frequently asked questions
What states do ocelots live in?+
Ocelots have confirmed wild populations in 2 US states: New Mexico and Texas.
Where are ocelots not found in the US?+
Ocelots have no confirmed wild sightings in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Full ocelots guides by state