Jaguarundi

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Jaguarundi
In the Pont-Scorff zoo

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Felidae
Subfamily: Felinae
Genus: Herpailurus
Severtzov, 1858
Species:
H. yagouaroundi
Binomial name
Herpailurus yagouaroundi
Distribution of the jaguarundi (2015)[1]
Synonyms[2]
List
  • Felis yagouaroundi Geoffroy, 1803
  • Puma yaguaroundi Lacépède, 1809
  • F. eyra Fischer, 1814
  • F. unicolor Thraill, 1819
  • F. cacomitli Berlandier, 1859
  • F. apache Mearns, 1901
  • F. fossata Mearns, 1901
  • F. panamensis Allen, 1904

The jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi;

domestic cat
(Felis catus), reaching nearly 360 mm (14 in) at the shoulder, and weighs 3.5–7 kg (7.7–15.4 lb).

Secretive and alert, the jaguarundi is typically solitary or forms pairs in the wild, though captive individuals are more gregarious. Unlike other

gestation period
of 70 to 75 days, a litter of one to four kittens is born. Lifespans of up to 15 years have been recorded in captivity.

The jaguarundi inhabits a broad array of both closed and open habitats ranging from

Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, but populations are in decline in many parts of its range due to loss and fragmentation
of habitat, as well as persecution for killing poultry.

Etymology

The common name "jaguarundi" comes from the

Old Tupi word yawaum'di, meaning "dark jaguar".[3] The name is pronounced /ˌʒæɡwəˈrʌndi/[4][5] or /ˌdʒæɡwəˈrʌndi/.[6] In some Spanish-speaking countries, the jaguarundi is also called gato colorado, gato moro, león breñero, leoncillo and tigrillo.[1] It is also called eyra, gato-mourisco, gato-preto, gato-vermelho and maracajá-preto in Brazilian Portuguese.[7][8]

Taxonomy

In 1803

scientific name Felis yagouarundi.[9] In the 19th and 20th centuries, several more zoological specimens were described:[10]

The

IUCN Cat Specialist Group revised felid taxonomy and recognises the jaguarundi as a monotypic taxon of the genus Herpailurus.[20]

Phylogeny and evolution

Lynx lineage

Lynx

Puma lineage
Acinonyx

Acinonyx jubatus Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
(Cheetah)

Puma

Puma concolor Cougar (Puma concolor)
(Cougar)

Herpailurus 

Herpailurus yagouaroundi Jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi)
(Jaguarundi)

Domestic cat lineage

Felis

Leopard cat lineage

Otocolobus

Prionailurus

The Puma lineage of the family Felidae, depicted along with closely related genera[21]

The jaguarundi is most closely related to the cougar; the jaguarundi-cougar clade is

Otocolobus and Prionailurus.[21]

The three species of the Puma lineage may have had a

common ancestor during the Miocene, about 8.25 million years ago.[23][24] Acinonyx possibly diverged from the lineage in the Americas;[25][26][27] some authors alternatively suggest that the cheetah diverged in the Old World.[28][29]

The Puma lineage appears to have migrated from Asia to North America after crossing the

Pleistocene extinctions around 10,000 years ago; North America was then recolonized by South American cougars and jaguarundis 10,000–8,000 years ago.[30][31][32] The extinct North American genus Miracinonyx is another member of this clade.[33]

Characteristics

Red morph
Gray morph

The jaguarundi is a medium-sized cat of slender build and uniform coloration that differs significantly from other

domestic cat, the jaguarundi reaches nearly 36 cm (14 in) at the shoulder and weighs 3.5–7 kg (7.7–15.4 lb), though larger individuals weighing around 9 kg (19.8 lb) have been reported.[34][37] Males are slightly larger than females.[30]

The coat is uniformly colored with at most a few faint markings on the face and the belly, though kittens are spotted for a short duration. Black and white marks on the lips and the snout, similar to those of the cougar, can be clearly seen in juveniles and some adults. Two color

dental formula is 3.1.3.13.1.2.1.[30]

Among felids, the jaguarundi is closely similar to the flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps), but has a longer body and proportionately longer legs, is heavier and lacks the dark markings on the cheeks of the flat-headed cat.[10] Tawny jaguarundis bear a similar coloration to the larger cougar.[35]

The diploid number of chromosomes in jaguarundi is 2n=38.[40]

Distribution and habitat

The jaguarundi inhabits a wide variety of habitats, from tropical rainforests and

thorn scrubs. It can also be found in cloud forests, mangroves and savannas.[1][39] Unlike the sympatric margay, ocelot and oncilla, the jaguarundi can live in open areas as well. In open habitats the jaguarundi prefers areas with vegetative cover such as cacti, which would generally be difficult for potential predators to penetrate; there may be a few clearings at the periphery of such areas. Jaguarundis tend to stay close to a source of running water.[34][37][41] The jaguarundi is noted for its resistance to environmental disturbances in its habitat; it can thrive in reforested areas.[39] While commonly inhabiting elevations from lowlands up to 2,000 m (6,600 ft) above sea level, this cat has been reported at altitudes as high as 3,200 m (10,500 ft) in Colombia.[1]

The range extends from central Argentina in the south to northern Mexico, through Central and South America east of the Andes — second only to the cougar in the

extirpated in the United States;[1] a 1999 study refuted claims of sightings in Arizona, in the Huachuca Mountains in Santa Cruz County.[43][44] The last confirmed sighting in the U.S. was of a roadkilled individual near Brownsville, Texas in 1986.[42]

The occurrence of the jaguarundi in

W. T. Neill noted that jaguarundis occurred throughout peninsular Florida in the 1950s, but the numbers had plummeted by the late 1970s. Jaguarundis were also reported in the coastal area of Alabama in the 1980s, which may be evidence of the Florida population migrating northward.[45] The jaguarundi has also been recorded from Cerro Largo in Uruguay, where its presence was uncertain.[46]

Behavior and ecology

Jaguarundis are good climbers and can easily walk on branches

The jaguarundi is shy and reclusive, and apparently very cautious of

lung fluke have been found in jaguarundis.[10]

Studies have mostly observed jaguarundis alone or in pairs; pairs could probably be formed between mothers and older kittens or between individuals of opposite sexes during the mating season. Individuals in captivity have been found to be more gregarious.[34] Home ranges tend to be large; a study in Brazil recorded home ranges 1.4–18 km2 (0.54–6.95 sq mi) in size for females, while those of males measured 8.5–25.3 km2 (3.3–9.8 sq mi) in area.[35] Two males in Belize were recorded to have exceptionally large home ranges spanning an area of 88 km2 (34 sq mi) and 100 km2 (39 sq mi), while the home range of a female in the same region measured 13–20 km2 (5.0–7.7 sq mi) in size.[36] Population densities are typically low, around 0.01 to 0.05/km2 (0.026 to 0.129/sq mi) in Brazil, though Tamaulipas (Mexico) and the Llanos in Costa Rica and Venezuela have recorded figures as high as 0.2/km2 (0.52/sq mi).[30][48]

Marking behavior could serve as a means of olfactory or visual communication among jaguarundis; individuals in captivity have been observed scraping areas with their hind feet (sometimes with urination), clawing on logs,

scent mark the area around their enclosures.[34][10]

Diet

Jaguarundis are generalist carnivores

The jaguarundi typically feed on small-sized prey weighing less than 1 kg (2.2 lb), including ground-feeding

reptiles, frogs, arthropods,[49] rodents and small mammals. Jaguarundis will also take larger prey such as domestic poultry, fish, marmosets, rabbits and opossums; a study recorded small deer (possibly carrion) in the diet. Vegetation such as grasses have also been recorded in their diet.[34][10][35][39] A study showed jaguarundis take 400 g (14 oz) vertebrate prey on an average every day.[10] The broad array of prey recorded for the jaguarundi across its range and varying proportions of different prey in its diet could indicate that the cat tends to feed on the most abundant and easily catchable prey in the area.[34]

Reproduction

Jaguarundis have been observed mating all year round, with peaks at different times of the year across the range; for instance, in Mexico breeding peaks in January and March. Estrus lasts three to five days, marked by the female regularly rolling onto her back and

Sexually mature males will pursue the female, not reacting to any aggressive behavior from her side. As in many other felids, the male bites the fur on the female's neck on mounting; the female lets out a loud scream on penetration.[34][10]

After a

guinea pigs at around six weeks. Jaguarundis become sexually mature at one to three years of age. Lifespan up to 15 years has been recorded in captivity.[34][36]

Threats and conservation

In the Děčín zoo, Czech Republic

The jaguarundi has been listed as

Near Threatened, but the data were not sufficient to extend this classification throughout the jaguarundi's range.[1] The jaguarundi is not particularly sought after for its fur due to its poor quality and low value, but it is suffering decline due to habitat loss.[36][37]

Other threats include risks of

Endangered Species Act;[2] the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has expressed concern that its presence in South Texas may be imperiled due to loss of the cat's native habitat.[50] Populations in Mexico are listed under the Mexican Official Norm NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010.[51]

Hunting jaguarundi is restricted in Peru and banned in Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Uruguay, United States, and Venezuela.[1]

References

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Notes

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jaguarundi&oldid=1217585502"