The margay's natural habitat is the dense forests of Central and South America. They are agile tree climbers and can grasp branches equally efficiently with both front and hind paws. They can also jump up to 12 feet (3.7 m) horizontally.

The margay has been listed as "Near Threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 2008 because remaining populations are thought to be declining due to loss of habitat from deforestation.