Jaguarundi
The jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi) is a medium-sized wild cat that ranges from southern Texas in the United States south to South America. The average length is 65 cm (30 inches) with 45 cm (20 in) of tail and a weight of about 6 kg (13.2 lbs). It has short legs and an appearance somewhat like an otter; the ears are short and rounded. For this reason, these animals are sometimes referred to as "otter cats." The coat is unspotted, uniform in colour, and varying from blackish to brownish grey (grey phase) or from foxy red to chestnut (red phase).
Etymology and naming
The two colour phases were once thought to represent two distinct species; the grey one called jaguarundi, and the red one called eyra. However, these are the same species and both colour phases may be found in the same litter. Its coat has no markings except for spots at birth. In some Spanish speaking countries, the jaguarundi is also called leoncillo, which means little lion. Other Spanish common names for the jaguarundi include: "gato colorado", "gato moro", "león brenero", "onza", and "tigrillo".
Taxonomy and evolution
This cat is closely related to the much larger and heavier cougar as evident by its similar genetic structure and chromosome count; both species are in the genus Puma although it is sometimes classified under a separate genus, Herpailurus and until recently, both cats were classified under the genus Felis.
According to a 2006 genomic study of Felidae, an ancestor of today's Leopardus, Lynx, Puma, Prionailurus, and Felis lineages migrated across the Bering land bridge into the Americas approximately 8 to 8.5 million years ago. The lineages subsequently diverged in that order.
Studies have indicated that the cougar and jaguarundi are next most closely related to the modern cheetah of Africa and western Asia, but the relationship is unresolved. It has been suggested that ancestors of the cheetah diverged from the Puma lineage in the Americas and migrated back to Asia and Africa, while other research suggests the cheetah diverged in the Old World itself. The outline of small feline migration to the Americas is thus unclear (see also American cheetah).
Habitat
Its habitat is lowland brush areas close to a source of running water. It occasionally inhabits dense tropical areas as well. It is crepuscular and nocturnal depending on location. This cat is comfortable in trees, but prefers to hunt on the ground. It preys upon fish, small mammals, reptiles and birds.
Reproduction
The litter consists of one to four kittens. They are raised socially after a 70-day gestation. The kittens become mature at approximately 2 years of age.
Conservation
This cat is not particularly sought after for its fur, but it is suffering decline due to loss of habitat. It is considered endangered by Texas Wildlife Management.
The jaguarundi has been sighted around the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana.
Subspecies
] Puma yagouaroundi armeghinoi, Western Argentina, Far-Eastern Chile
Gulf Coast Jaguarundi, Puma yagouaroundi cacomitli, southern Texas and eastern Mexico
Puma yagouaroundi eyra, Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina
Puma yagouaroundi fossata, southern Mexico to Honduras
Puma yagouaroundi melantho, Peru and Brazil
Puma yagouaroundi panamensis, Nicaragua to Ecuador
Sinaloan Jauguarundi, Puma yagouaroundi tolteca, western Mexico (unconfirmed sightings have been reported in Arizona and Sonora)
Puma yagouaroundi yagouaroundi, Guyana and the Amazon Rainforest
Gallery
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Image:Jaguarondi 2.jpg|Red color phase
Image:Puma yaguarondi.jpg|Gray color phase
</gallery> </center>
Translation
The word "Jaguarundi" occurs as such in the following languages: English, Czech, German, Hungarian, Dutch, Norwegian (Bokmål), Polish, Portuguese, Finnish, Swedish.
Translation(s) in other languages: Breton: Jagwarundi, Bulgarian: Ягуарунди, Spanish: Puma yagouaroundi, French: Jaguarondi, Korean: 재규어런디, Italian: Puma yaguarondi, Latin: Herpailurus, Lithuanian: Jaguarundis, Nahuatl: Cuammiztli, Japanese: ジャガランディ, Quechua: Tuwi puma, Russian: Ягуарунди, Slovak: Mačka jaguarundi, Tagalog: Puma yagouaroundi, Turkish: Yaguarundi, Ukrainian: Ягуарунді, Chinese: 細腰貓.
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