Species MammalsJaguarundi

Jaguarundi

Herpailurus yagouaroundi

Very rareMammal
Illustration of Jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi)

The Jaguarundi is an unusual wild cat with a flat, otter-like head, very small round ears, and a long body that gives it a superficially weasel-like appearance unlike any other North American felid. It comes in two color phases—gray and reddish-brown—that are not age- or sex-related. In the United States it is effectively extirpated from Texas, with the closest confirmed wild populations in Mexico.

Habitat
Dense tropical thornscrub, riparian corridors, and forest edges
Diet
Small rodents, birds, reptiles, frogs, and fish
How common
Very rare

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