Jaguarundi
Jaguarundi
The Jaguarundi is a slender, weasel-like wild cat with a long body, short legs, small head, and long tail. It has two color types: dark (black, gray, or brown) and red (yellow to chestnut). The dark morph is often mistaken for a tayra but lacks its throat spot.

General Information:

Common Name:Jaguarundi
Scientific Name:Herpailurus yagouaroundi
Kingdom: Animalia
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family:Felidae
Suborder:Feliformia
Genus:Panthera

Description

he Jaguarundi is amongst the most unusual of cat species in the New World, being rather weasel-like in its looks. Its body is slender and long, with a small flattened head, short legs, a long tail and short rounded ears. The species has two main color morphs: one being dark, i.e. uniform black, gray or brownish, sometimes a little lighter on the undersides, and a red morph, which can vary from tawny yellow to a bright chestnut red. Due to looking like a weasel, the dark morph jaguarundi will often be mistaken for the tayra, which is a large mustelid, but it lacks the tayra’s yellowish spot on the throat, and has a very long, thin tail and very short hair.

Distribution

The jaguarondi is widely distributed throughout North, Central and South America, ranging from southern Texas to as far south as northern Argentina.

Habitat

It occurs in a wide range of open as well as closed habitats, such as rainforest, thickets, savanna, swamp and savanna woodland, as well as semi-arid thorn scrub. It may also live in secondary vegetation and areas that have been disturbed, but is believed to prefer areas that have at least some thick ground cover.

Mating Habits

Jaguarundis are polygynous, which means that one male gets exclusive mating rights with multiple females. Breeding may take place at any time of the year. In Mexico, the mating season is during November and December. The animals construct dens, typically in dense thickets or hollow logs. Litters are between one to four kittens, born after a gestation time from 63 to 75 days. Kittens are weaned when about 2 months old, then their mother teaches them how to hunt and look after themselves. She protects them and will move her den when disturbed. Independence comes at around 10 months of age and sexual maturity is reached at about 2 - 3 years old.

Diet

Jaguarundis are carnivorous and eat small mammals such as reptiles, birds, fish, and frogs.

Threats

The numbers of jaguarundis are decreasing every day, due to the loss of their natural habitat, deforestation, and expanding cities. Jaguarundis are hunted by farmers because they eat their poultry, and they are sometimes caught accidentally in traps laid for other animals.

IUCN Status

Least Concern