The Jaguarundi Endangered June 24, 1976

The Jaguarundi also referred to as the Otter Cat was placed on the Federal Register for endangered species on June 24, 1976. Its scientific name Puma yagouaroundi cacomitli gives us the hint that the Otter Cat has been seen as closely related to the Puma. You can trace the Jaguarundi through the taxonomic classification;

KINGDOM: Animalia
PHYLUM: Chordata
CLASS: Mammalia
ORDER: Carnivora
FAMILY: Felidae
GENUS: Felinae
SPECIES: yaguarondi

The Jaguarundi is a small otter-like cat that typically grows to be 35 to 50 inches long and weighing up to 20 pounds. It is slender-bodied, long tailed, unspotted, short legged and has rounded ears. It is about twice the size of a large domestic cat. The cat comes in a scale of three colors; grey, red and black. Although the cat could be mistaken for a cougar, its otter-like tail and small flattened head gives it a more weasel like look, which is a less threatening appearance.

The Jaguarundi are native to South and Central America, more specifically Brazil to southern Mexico. The cats are also prevalent on the Arizona border and the southern Rio Grande Valley up to the Texas border. There have been several reports of Jaguarundi's being spotted in Florida in the last few years. The otter-cat is a cat of the lowlands and primarily lives in thickets of cacti and mesquite near streams and rivers where their prey is abundant.

Their primary diet consist of small rodents, rabbits, armadillos, opossum, quail, wild turkey, reptiles, frogs, fish and domestic poultry. Most of the hunting is done during the day and done on the ground although the cats are agile climbers.

The endangerment of the Jaguarundi is not entirely understood. Loss of vast tracts of mesquite thicket and other scrub growth in southern Arizona and Texas are the primary reason for the endangerment of the Gulf Coast Jaguarundi. Most of these lands are cleared for agricultural use and livestock grazing. Other reasons for possible extinction include being caught in unintended traps and threats from farmers due to the raiding of their poultry.


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“Jaguarundi.” Accessmylibrary.com. 1 Jan. 2000. Beacham’s Guide to the Endangered Species of North America. 6 Apr. 2009 http://www.accessmylibrary.com/‌coms2/‌summary_0193-7680_ITM.

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