Leopard-spotted swellshark vs Margay

Cephaloscyllium fasciatum compared with Leopardus wiedii

Key Differences

• Leopard-spotted swellshark is Critically Endangered while Margay is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Leopard-spotted swellshark	Margay
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Scyliorhinidae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Cephaloscyllium	Leopardus
Species	Cephaloscyllium fasciatum	Leopardus wiedii

Evolutionary Relationship

Leopard-spotted swellshark and Margay share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Leopard-spotted swellshark

CR — Critically Endangered

Margay

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Leopard-spotted swellshark	Margay
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Leopard-spotted swellshark

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Indomalayan biogeographic realm.

Range

Found in Taiwan. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Margay

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.