Article first published online: 19 NOV 2015
DOI: 10.1111/mam.12051
© 2015 The Mammal Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Abstract
- The ecology of the jaguarundi is poorly known, so I reviewed the literature for all original data and remarks on jaguarundi observations, ecology, and behaviour, to synthesize what is known about the species.
- Jaguarundis occupy and use a range of habitats with dense undergrowth from northern Mexico to central Argentina, but may be most abundant in seasonal dry, Atlantic, gallery, and mixed grassland/agricultural forest landscapes.
- Jaguarundis are principally predators of small (sigmodontine) rodents, although other mammals, birds, and squamate reptiles are taken regularly.
- The vast majority of jaguarundi camera-trap records occurred during daylight hours (0600 h–1800 h); jaguaurndis are also predominantly terrestrial, although they appear to be capable tree climbers.
- Home range sizes for jaguarundis vary greatly, but most are ≤25 km2; females' territories may be much smaller than or similar in size to those of males. Males may concentrate movements in one area before shifting to another and, as with other felids, intersexual overlap in habitat use appears to be common.
- Interference competition may be important in influencing the distribution and ecology of jaguarundis, although their diurnal habits may somewhat mitigate its effect.
- Conflict between humans and jaguarundis over small livestock may be widespread among rural human communities and is likely to be underreported. Despite this conflict, jaguarundis can persist in agriculturally modified landscapes and small forest fragments.
- Additional research on local jaguarundi populations from more areas should be a priority to determine the true status of the species.
Introduction
The jaguarundi Puma (Herpailurus) yagouaroundi is a small, short-legged and elongated felid with a proportionally small head and low, rounded ears. Its rather atypical feline appearance has earned it such common names as otter cat and weasel cat (Guggisberg 1975). Three major pelage patterns exist: a chocolate brown to near black phenotype, which appears to be the most common; a greyish-silver phase; and a striking, although less common rust or reddish-brown colour (de Oliveira 1998a). Like its larger congeneric the puma Puma concolor, the jaguarundi is considered a generalist predator, one that occupies a broad spectrum of Neotropical habitats. Classified as a species of ‘Least Concern’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (Caso et al. 2008), the jaguarundi has unfortunately been the subject of little empirical research. To provide a thorough summary of what is known to date, I performed a comprehensive review of existing literature referencing aspects of jaguarundi ecology, as well as confirmed or purported observations, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, unpublished reports, anecdotal accounts, general mammal surveys, and regional faunal summaries. My goal here is to provide greater ecological context for the jaguarundi, and possibly to infer broader patterns with respect to the ecology, behaviour, and status of the species.
Distribution and Habitat
The jaguarundi ranges from the USA–Mexico borderlands south through south-central Argentina (de Oliveira 1998a), making it second only to the puma among felids of the western hemisphere in its overall latitudinal expanse (Fig. 1). Parts of the jaguarundi's distribution, however, are incompletely understood, possibly because of a lack of research interest or funding to study the species, and its current ‘Least Concern’ status (Caso et al. 2008). Survey information from the northern limit of the jaguarundi's range, for example, including broad parts of southern Texas, USA, and northern Mexico, is still lacking; this makes purported observations difficult to confirm and a matter of continuing debate. In extreme south Texas and northern Tamaulipas, Mexico, thornscrub habitats have historically been considered the northernmost limit of the species' geographical range (Goodwyn 1970, Tewes & Everett 1986, Caso 1994). Although recent unconfirmed sightings exist from the vicinity of Laguna Atascosa Wildlife Refuge, Texas, the last confirmed jaguarundi in the USA appears to have been a road-killed individual near Brownsville, Texas in April 1986 (Grassman & Tewes 2004). Based on reliable observations (i.e. those for which the observer was considered knowledgeable and the context was considered credible) collected between 1970 and 1982, Everett (1983) and Tewes and Everett (1986) suggested that the jaguarundi may have recently ranged north and west from south Texas across the southern Edwards Plateau, and north along the entire coastal plain of east Texas. Its current existence in this region, its occurrence in the Pecos region of Texas and northern Coahuila, Mexico, and whether or not it occurs or has occurred in parts of southern Arizona, USA and Sonora, Mexico, remains unresolved (Little 1938, Brown & Lopez-Gonzalez 1999, Grigione et al. 2007, 2009, Giordano et al. 2011), and physical evidence is lacking (Fig. 1). Despite the ambiguity, new, confirmed jaguarundi records from additional areas of Mexico, including the first from Mexico's central highlands (1324 m; Charre-Medellin et al. 2012), have occurred recently.
