Jaguarundis
move in a quick weasel-like manner. Their coat is a solid color; either
rusty-brown or charcoal gray. Jaguarundis hunt during early morning and
evening. They hunt mostly on the ground, but also climb trees easily.
Jaguarundis have been seen springing into the air to capture prey.
Historical accounts from Mexico suggest that Jaguarundis are also good
swimmers and enter the water freely.
Zoological name: Herpailurus yaguarondi
Species: When it was originally discovered, it was thought that the
red form of jaguarundi was a separate species of cat from the other colours.
This species was called the eyra. However, it was found that both forms of
cat could appear in the same litter, suggesting that they are the same
species.The word 'jaguarundi' comes from the Guarani Indian term,
'yaguarundis'. Other names for the jaguarundi include, otter cat, weasel
cat, jaguarondi, eyra, and yaguarundi. Although very distinctive in
appearance, the jaguarundi has often been classified in the Felis genus.
Wozencraft (1993) recognised its differences by allocating a separate genus
in the latest taxonomic review of the cats.
Eight subspecies of jaguarundi have been described:
- F. (H.) y. yagouaroundi East Venezuela to northeast Brazil
- F. (H.) y. ameghinoi Western Argentina
- F. (H.) y. cacomitli Southern Texas to central Vera Cruz
- F. (H.) y. eyra Southern Brazil, Paraguay and north
Argentina
- F. (H.) y. fossata Veracruz to central Nicaragua
- F. (H.) y. melantho Peru
- F. (H.) y. panamensis Central Nicaragua to Ecuador
- F. (H.) y. tolteca Southern Arizona to central Guerro
Presence on the planet: The jaguarundi is native to Central America
and the northern and central countries of South America down to Argentina -
it is also rarely sighted in parts of Texas and New Mexico in the southern
United States. A number of jaguarundi are also to be found in Florida,
although these are descendants of a small population introduced to the area
in the 1940’s.
Habitat: Jaguarundis live in dense shrubbery and thickets, and on
the edge of forests. They are rarely found on open land, and even then, only
near to bushes or dense ground cover. There, these cats live a life of
relative safety because such thickets are almost impenetrable to both dogs
and man which are their chief enemies. They spend most of their time on the
ground, but they are expert climbers and garner part of their food in the
trees and bushes. They are largely active at night but move about a good
deal in the daytime, often going to water to drink at midday.
Physical appearance: The jaguarundi is a small cat, with a long
tail, short legs, small round ears, and a slender body. It's fur is short
and smooth. It is a plain colour, with no patterning, though it is slightly
lighter on the underside. The jaguarundi comes in a variety of colours. The
main forms are almost black, grey, brown, or fox-red. The darker colours are
more likely to be found in rainforest regions, and the paler colours in
drier regions. Unlike the adults, newborns have spots on their coats.
Diet: Their food consists of rats, mice, birds, and rabbits. They
also are reputed to make inroads on poultry. Robert Snow has stated that
their chief food is birds and that the young in the dens are fed a similar
diet. He reported seeing one old cat spring about 1.5 m into the air and
knock feathers out of a low-flying dove. An analysis of stomach contents
from 13 Venezuelan jaguarundis revealed the remains of lizards, rodents,
small birds, cottontail rabbits, and grass.
Reproduction & Offspring: These felines are solitary, except
during the breeding season. Gestation lasts for about 60 to 75 days. In each
litter, 2-4 blind and helpless young are born. In the tropical regions,
breeding is not seasonally restricted. In other regions, breeding happens
twice a year, in March and August (this could be the same females having two
litters a year, or two different groups of females having one litter a
year). The cubs are weened at about 2 months. After this, the mother will
teach them how to hunt, and look after themselves. Cubs usually gain full
independence at about 10 months old. Sexual maturity is reached at about 2-3
years old.
Conservation status: Although the fur of the jaguarundi is not
highly sought after by fur traders the cat is at risk through general
deforestation and loss of its natural habitat. In the United States, where
sightings of the cat are very rare, it is classified as an endangered
species.
Status: Four sub-species of jaguarundi are listed in CITES Appendix
1 with the remaining sub-species in Appendix 2. The IUCN Red Book classifies
the jaguarundi as 'Least Concern'.
Life span: 10-20 years
Behaviour of Jaguarindis
Behaviour patterns of jaguarundis are very flexible; they are agile
climbers and good swimmers. Said to be more diurnal than most cats, they are
crepuscular, which is in keeping with their plain, unmarked coloration.
Thought to be solitary in the wild, there is evidence that they form groups
in captivity. Fathers are allowed contact with their young from when they
are about three days old. An extensive repertoire of vocalisations suggests
a certain degree of socialisation. Adults will accept different generations
of their offspring. They pair in well-defined territories which overlap/are
shared with others.
