jaguarundi

endangered cats

  • HB Length: 53-76 cm (21-30″)
  • Tail Length: 31-52 cm (12-20″)
  • Height: 25-30 cm (10-14″)
  • Weight: 3-7 kg (6.6-15 lbs)
  • Pop. Trend: Decreasing

Jaguarundi Herpailurus yaguarondi are one of the strangest looking of the small cats. Their slender, elongated bodies, small flattened heads, and long tails are more reminiscent of an otter than a cat. The short, smooth, unmarked coat shows three distinct colour phases: black, brownish grey, and a reddish brown phase known as the Eyra. The dark or grey pelage is associated mostly with wet, dense forests, whereas the red coat colour is associated with dry, open habitats. The blackish phase is more associated with rainforests. Nevertheless, all color phases can be found in all environments.

The ears are short and rounded, and this is one of the few cat species not to have a contrasting colour on the backs of the ears. Their eyes are small, set closely together, and are light amber or brownish in colour. The legs are short and slender, and the tail is long and tapered.

These cats are not closely related to the other small South American cats. Genetic analysis has grouped them more closely to the Cougar Puma concolor and the Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus.  Like the Cheetah, Jaguarundi cannot retract the claws of their hind paws completely, and their behaviour resembles the Puma more than other medium-sized cats in the same habitat. Their ancestors probably evolved in Eurasia and migrated to the Americas via the Bering land bridge about 16,000 years ago.

Distribution

jaguarundi range map
Click for larger image

A cat of the lowlands not generally found above 2,000 metres, Jaguarundi range from northern Mexico through Central America down to central Argentina.

A radio telemetry study in Belize found the home ranges of these cats to be huge. Territories varied considerably between males and females, measuring 88 – 100 km² for each of two adult males and 13 – 20 km² for an adult female. The ranges of the males overlapped less than 5%. Both sexes used different and widely spaced portions of their ranges for irregular periods of time, rather than making regular boundary patrols.

In the savannas of Brazil, home ranges for males and females varied from 18 to 40.2 km², whereas in forest and forest/agriculture mosaic in Brazil it ranged from 1.4 to 34.9 km².

By comparison, a study in Mexico found home ranges of 9.6 km² for males and 8.9 km² for females, with extensive overlapping between all genders. The higher number of cats in this area results in smaller home range sizes and more overlapping territories.

The Mexico study also found that radio-collared Jaguarundi used mature forest 53% of the time, and pasture and grassland 47%. Jaguarundi are thought to exist in very low densities in Brazil with 1-5 cats per 100 km², but in Mexico the population is estimated at 20 cats per 100 km².

Habitat

These cats occupy a broad range of both open and closed habitats from grasslands, dry scrub, swamp and savannah woodland to primary forest. Access to dense ground cover seems to determine habitat suitability for these cats, and their low, slender bodies allow them to easily slip through this vegetation. They have been reported to prefer forest edges and secondary bush, but this may simply be where they are most frequently seen.

As a generalist carnivore and the largest and most adaptable of the small cat species in tropical America, the Ocelot Leopardus pardalis dominates the other small cat species. In areas where the Ocelot occurs, species like the Jaguarundi avoid them because of the threat of predation. This negative effect on other small cat species is called the “ocelot effect”. When Ocelots inhabit protected areas, the smaller cats can be forced into adjacent unprotected areas, where the threat of habitat loss and human interaction is greater.

Ecology

The Jaguarundi has a remarkable characteristic which is very unusual in cats: it uses at least thirteen different calls to communicate. These range from purring, whistling and chattering, up to chirping like a bird.

In a radio telemetry study in Belize, activity peaks were from 2:00 to 4:00 pm with very little activity after sunset. This pattern was confirmed through camera trap studies in Brazil and Argentina. This behaviour enables the Jaguarundi to segregate and thus minimize competition with the nocturnally active Ocelot.

In spite of its mostly terrestrial activity the Jaguarundi is an agile climber and good swimmer. They can jump up to 2 meters in the air to catch birds, have been seen pursuing marmosets up in trees. Their long tail aids in balance jumping from branch to branch.

More active during daylight hours than other small wild cats, Jaguarundi are the most observed small cat in South America for that reason. They have frequently been observed travelling and foraging in pairs.

They are thought to hunt mainly on the ground and have a varied diet with rodents being the main prey species. Other foods include birds, reptiles and even fallen fruit. Prey greater than 1 kg, like rabbits, opossums and armadillos is not unusual.

Reproduction

The reproductive season of the Jaguarundi is probably year round with peaks in different months depending on the area. Females are thought to be polyestrous year round in most of their range but peak mating season is late fall in the northern part of their range. Den sites include dense thickets, fallen logs overgrown with vegetation, hollow trees, and thick grassy clumps. One to four, usually two, kittens are born after an average gestation period of 70 – 75 days. The kittens begin to eat solid food at about six weeks of age. Sexual maturity is reached around 24 months. Individuals have lived up to 15 years of age.

Threats

  • habitat loss and fragmentation which leads to prey reduction
  • hunted around settled areas and commonly killed due to poultry predation
  • killed for medicinal or ornamental purposes, or taken as pets
  • lack of information about this species’ life history and ecology

Conservation

The Jaguarundi has been considered relatively common over much of its range, perhaps because it is diurnal and uses open habitats, which makes it more readily seen than the other species.

Although actual population numbers are unknown, their large range and lack of threat from the illegal fur trade means that Jaguarundi are classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. The danger in this designation is the assumption that the population is healthy, resulting in few or no field studies to determine their actual status.

The Jaguarundi is protected over much of its range and hunting is prohibited in Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Uruguay, U.S. and Venezuela. In Peru hunting is regulated. They are not legally protected in Brazil, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana or Nicaragua.

The Jaguarundi is more associated with savannah than with dense forest. The habitat alterations of the Brazilian savannas into industrial agriculture landscapes are therefore seriously threatening it. How far its adaptability reaches and how much competition with other cat species influences its behaviour is unclear. Jaguarundi populations in protected areas are expected to be very low, likely because of the negative impact of the Ocelot.

As little is known about the Jaguarundi, its status should be periodically reviewed. There is an urgent need for further research on its ecology, demographics and natural history to identify threats and their impacts, as well as to ensure that adequate conservation measures can be implemented.

Map courtesy IUCN Red List 2018

Updated 2018

 

123 Responses

  1. Pat Bumstead

    Your cat is very unlikely to have been a jaguarundi in Utah, unless it was an escapee from a wildlife rehab center in the area. We do however, get reports from various states of weird looking cats that don’t seem to look like any normal cat. They are generally hybrids, a result of people breeding exotics with domestic cats, and don’t ask me why. Just as a complete guess, I would say your cat could be a jungle cat/domestic cat cross. Jungle cats are apparently popular in the pet trade. Please do let us know if you get a picture!

  2. Dave Coats

    I just saw what I believe to have been a Jaguarundi saunter through my backyard in SW Utah (outskirts of Washington, UT). No other wildcat fits the description of what I saw other than the Jaguarundi, yet its range supposedly doesn’t extend north beyond Mexico. It was at least double the height of a domestic cat, very slender with dark fur and a long tail. I did not get a clear view of its head as it was moving away from me and the light was low as it was dawn. Roughly 8 ft below our back lot line is a street, then a wash, and then a golf course. Beyond the golf course and surrounding our neighborhood is rugged open area typical of southern UT.

  3. S. McCrory

    I have seen one of these in central Mississippi. I have a B.S. in Biology and I know that the animal I saw was a jaguarundi. It was only a few yards from me in the gravel road. The cat was tan/light brown in color and very muscular. I have yet to get a photo of the animal. My wife and a neighbor have also seen the cat.

  4. Will McCarthy

    Hi Jessica, I’m writing a story about Jaguarundi and I’d love to talk with you about your sighting. Feel free to reach me at wrmccart@gmail.com.
    Will McCarthy

  5. Will McCarthy

    Hi Lloyd, I’m writing a story about Jaguarundi and I’d love to talk with you about your sighting. Feel free to reach me at wrmccart@gmail.com.
    Will McCarthy

  6. Linda Poindexter

    Here are three more “strange” sightings in North Florida. I saw what I first thought was a fox along a fence line about 5 miles from my house. It was not a dog or a fox but I do not know what it was. It was kind of brownish with darker patches( not spots). Moved too fast for a dog but didn’t look like a cat necessaroly. Since then, another person has reported seeing it in the same area. Then my neighbor spotted what she said was a large black cat..much larger than a domestic cat and definitely black,
    that crossed the road in front of her and jumped effortlessly about four feet up into a tree on our property. She said they startled each other and it happened so quickly that she was not able to get a picture with her phone. We are about 5 miles from where I saw the other “mystery creature”. We are in a rural area with lots of deer, wild turkeys, etc
    According to the experts, there are supposed to be no large black cats in our area or jagaurundis, but there are SOME.kind of weird animals around. I wonder what they are? We are between Tallahasse and Jacksonville in North Florida.

  7. Pat Bumstead

    Jaguarundi have long skinny tails that look like a piece of rope and are definitely not bushy. You probably saw a fox.

  8. Ben Hargis

    I believe I might have seen 2 this morning on the canyon road heading north out of Kernville, California. I thought it was a fox at first but it’s tail, ears, and movements were too feline. Very small ears in proportion to its body and no tips like on a bobcat with an overly large tail that was very fluffy. It was dark in the headlight but I could make out that the colour was rather monotone but the ears and tail were lighter than the rest of the body.

  9. Pat Bumstead

    You can email us the photo of this cat so we can see what we’re dealing with. IF it is a jaguarundi, Texas Parks and Wildlife will have to be notified. These cats are listed as endangered in Texas.

  10. Pat Bumstead

    Mothers often leave their little kittens alone while they go hunting. The best thing to do is just watch a small kitten, keep him from harm and wait until his mum comes back. Never pick up baby animals without knowing more about the mother.

    As this doesn’t seem to be applicable now, is it possible to get him to a zoo or wildlife rehabilitation centre? Or even a domestic animal veterinarian?

  11. Sinead Morrissey

    Hi, my family in Colombia found a cub alone and we believe it is a jaguarundi. Can you give any advise on what they should do with him now. He is very young.

  12. lloyd steadman

    mineola tex, there is a red jaguarundi in our housing addition. a neighbor has a photo on his cell phone taken in his yard . small dogs and domestic cats are disappearing weekly . we cannot trap him as of yet. what can we do? mineola tex. is located 27 miles east of tyler tex and 85 miles east of dallas tex. area is heavily wooded with small creeks. help!

  13. Pat Bumstead

    We have no records of jaguarundi in Alabama, and without photographic proof cannot confirm! Thanks for letting us know though.

  14. Robin

    Yesterday, my husband and I were riding bikes down a dirt road in Salem, Alabama. A slick black cat with flat face (otter looking), short legs, elongated body, and long tail low to the ground crossed the road a few feet in front of us. After investigating what this could be, we have come to the conclusion that it was a jaguarundi. This area is near creeks and a river.

  15. Tanya M

    My mom and I were leaving my house one night 3/11/21 in Melbourne, FL (Central FL) and we saw a strange animal too cat like to be a fox and too big to be a house cat. Nothing like either of us have ever seen. We watched it slink through an open area in our neighborhood and jump easily into a tree and disappear. When we looked up the description of what we saw a jaguarundi was the first thing that popped up. Upon seeing photos we are sure that this is what we saw. I live in town in a neighborhood with a small canal running behind. There is also a small lot that’s preserved for wildlife with a pond, rocks, and dense forest.

  16. Patrick Sullivan

    3 years ago, I saw what I believe to be a jaguarundi in the Sierra Ancha mountains of Arizona. It was early afternoon on a remote hiking trail, hugging the side of a mountain. As I turned a blind corner, I saw, about 50-75 feet ahead, a large, dark colored (almost black) cat and also heard/saw some rustling in the bushes just off to the left of the cat (down the side of the mountain). I think I came across either a pair and one immediately bolted into the brush, or one that was in the middle of catching prey, and the prey animal escaped into the brush. I only saw the cat from behind and only for a few seconds before he took off ahead out of sight. What was very clear is that it immediately slunk down close to the ground when it knew I was there, it had very powerful-looking hind legs, and a very long, powerful-looking tail that was curved upward at the end. It looked a bit larger than a bobcat, but it was hard to tell exactly given the nature of the encounter. At the moment, I had no clue exactly what it was, but after getting home and researching, I’m convinced it was a jaguarundi based on all of the photos I’ve seen. The elevation in that location is ~6,600 ft. The rough Lat/Long was 33.80527, -110.93790.

  17. Pat Bumstead

    We do not raise any wild cats here so are unable to advise. Our programs deal with in-situ field research and we have no information on captive cats. Sorry – hope the little guy makes it!

  18. Jane

    I am raising a jaguarundi in my wildlife rehabilitation centre in Ecuador. He has ben with me for 3 days, very malnourished. He is about 2 months old. At the moment taking milk (Royal Canin Kitten milk) every 4 hours to build up weight and strength. Not interested in solid food. Very bright and alert, all claws and hissing. I am having to keep him very wrapped up as he is not maintaining temperature too well yet probably because he is so underweight. He has not defecated yet but is urinating normally. Any suggestions/tips welcome. I am used to raising ocelots from a few days old.

  19. Jessica

    I saw one in June while hiking the trails in Williamson County Park, Cedar Park/Round Rock/Leander, TX. It was around 8pm (still broad daylight), it crossed the trail about 20 feet ahead of me and then jumped back into the brush. I couldn’t grasp what I saw, it looked so odd to me. I googled it by the features that caught me as the most odd- it’s small head and rounded ears, it’s color, and it’s body shape- low and long and almost resembling a weasel or otter. Jaguarundi came up immediately even though supposedly extinct in TX, the description I entered was exactly what others had used to describe them! I’ve been obsessed ever since! I go back to the park looking in the same area, and search online for other sightings constantly to confirm I did see what I saw!

  20. Pat Bumstead

    Please send any photos to us a smallwildcats[at]gmail.com as we are still waiting for a photo of any jaguarundi in the US!

  21. Brian

    I live in Alabama and am pretty sure I have a family of jaguarundi behind my house in the woods. Set a trail cam and got a couple pictures. Still trying to get better ones.

  22. Anthony Orozco

    I saw a Jaguarundi at a distance of 25 yards. We saw each other at the exact same time when our eyes locked we both froze for at least 20 to 30 seconds. It was in the city limits of San Antonio, Texas on N.E. side of town. The year was 2019 months September – October. On another occasion I could have sworn I witnessed at least 3 kittens or cubs under and around a 20 ft. Patch of Cactus. My peripheral vision caught movements in cactus at 60-100 feet. As I turned my head they froze in place as any wild newborns are trained to. Both sightings were within a 20 yard radius. Approximately 200 – 500 acres with tons of wildlife and easy access to water and or open land between Austin and San Antonio. Untouched pristine land it was amazing.

  23. Dave

    I absolutely saw one of these at Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve, Marina Del Ray, Los Angeles, around 2008. At the time I googled it and couldn’t find out what it was. Today I tried to google it again and sure enough, this is what I saw. I had a face off with it, at dusk. There was no one in the park but me (it was closed and I wasn’t supposed to be there). It froze when it saw me. I took pics but they didn’t come out good (sorry).. I inched closer to it and it turned around and ran from me super fast, in giant leaps. It was a really cool and crazy experience!

  24. Judy Manning

    I saw a jaguarundi at Inks Lake State Park, Burnet, Texas a few years ago. I was hiking and what I thought was a house cat crossed the path in front of me. I walked in the direction it went hoping to get a picture of it but it was too fast for me!

  25. Misty

    Idk if I’ve posted but a few years ago I was driving on hwy 6 (Josephine, Tx) it was almost daylight but not quite. I had my headlights on and something ran across the street in front of my car. I had never seen anything like it. It’s face and ears were cat but body looked like a skinny dog. It’s tail was about as long as it’s body. I slammed on my brakes to keep from hitting it and watched it leap towards a field. It was a burned orange color. I came home and instantly googled the description of what I saw and there was a picture of a jaguarundi I Knew that was it. Definitely felt like it was once in a lifetime I’d see something like that.

  26. Laura ottmers

    I live in Round Rock Texas and saw a jaguarundi in our neighborhood cul-de-sac last night (2-12-2020). Though sun had set, the cul-de-sac is well lit and my headlights allowed me to see full on before it bolted across neighbor fence to small farm plot close by.

  27. Pat Bumstead

    As long as you have a good supply of prey animals in your area, I doubt there is any way to get the predators to move on. Jaguarundi weigh less than 15 lbs and couldn’t take down a pig, but they will certainly follow a corridor along rivers. So will bobcats and puma. The only sure way to protect your cats is to keep them inside if possible.

    We are still awaiting that elusive photograph of a jaguarundi in Texas so if you happen to get a picture, please let us know at smallwildcats @ gmail.com.

  28. Betty Ann Taylor

    I live in Nacogdoches Texas. I walked out onto my front porch and there was a Jaugarundi. It took off with the speed of lightning. Rusty grey. One of my domestic ferals had a rumble in the low brush behind my house. I screamed and my cat came back. I have lost two without a trace in the last 2 months. I was in animal rescue for 25 years. I never saw this animal. With the overpopulation of pigs we have new predators moving into our area by way of a corridor by rivers and creeks nearby. Any ideas how to make them move on?

  29. Pat Bumstead

    Jaguarundi are about half the size of a German Shepard or black Lab, and much skinnier. It’s not likely you saw a jaguarundi but I cannot even guess what you did see. You are correct that science says there is no such thing as a black mountain lion/cougar, but we are continually getting reports of large black cat sightings. No idea what’s going on!

  30. Elke Goodno

    I am from California and I was hiking inPalos Verdes. It was last week that I came across this amazing cat. I estimated it to be the size of a German Shepard or black Lab. When I saw it I first thought “ Oh, it’s a Mountain Lion” but then I found out they are never black. I now believe I saw a Jaguarundi.

  31. Pat Bumstead

    We’ve never had a jaguarundi reported in California, but we will add your sighting to our list of reports. You are a long way north from their Mexican range, but as no one knows where these cats actually are, we continue to keep the list!

  32. Alex Brahney

    I spotted what I can only assume is a Jaguarundi in California off highway 131 west of Patterson. In The last 5 years on my night drives, I almost hit a mountain lion and have seen roughly 10 bobcats, and all sorts of other animals. Nothing that ever looks like this creature that I spotted just last weekend. Running down the road straight in front of me with a long thick tail, dark body, running like a cat. I did not get the best look at it but from what I did see it was nothing I’ve ever seen before. I never even knew that the jaguarundi existed up until my search of what type of animal is dark and has a long tail in California. It was no skunk, it was no possum, it was no weasel. It looked like a cat, a cat I had never seen before. The only animal that it could possibly be other than a jaguarundi would be a badger but those are much broader and lower then I jaguarundi and I really highly doubt that’s what I saw.

  33. Kathleen

    I have seen jaguarundis twice by our house in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. Once in the daytime when it came to drink from a birdbath at ground level, and once again, just last night when it passed near the back of our house screeching and meowing. As I had already seen one in daylight, I could tell this was the same species, as I could see its shape and outline in bright moonlight. The first one I saw was gray. We live at 4600 feet elevation in the western Sierra Madre mountains.

  34. Pat Bumstead

    Very likely location for a jaguarundi and the color is right. I’ll add your sighting to the long list of them. We’re still waiting for that elusive photograph though!

  35. Sue Woodard

    My husband and I were riding the trails near the Rio Grande river and saw one of these cats, fairly close up. It was a reddish color. Thought at first glance it was a feral cat, but as we approached it, we realized the tail was way too long for a feral cat. It jumped back into brush along the river. Beautiful!

  36. Mark Vanden Branden

    While riding my bike on a trail in Oscar Scherer State Park FL. around 10 AM, I observed a very dark grey – almost black – Jaguarundi. It was 20″ to 24″ tall at the shoulder with a rather short tapered tail maybe 16″to 18″ long. I rounded a curve and saw it maybe 20′ in front of me so I got a very good look at it. While searching for information on what I saw, I noticed that there were very few sightings of this animal in Florida. My lucky day.

  37. Pat Bumstead

    Thanks for letting us know. We’ll add your sightings to the ever-growing list of jaguarundi reported in Texas!Still waiting for that photo…

  38. TomRichey

    I have seen 2 jaguarundis in Erath County, Tx. Two years ago I saw a black one 6 miles south of Bluff Dale, Tx. and then last year I saw a gray one behind my house 1 mile south of Bluff Dale. I contacted the NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Services) in Stephenville and their chief manager said he has had several people report them over the past 8 years. I also contacted the Erath County Trapper and he knows of one rancher who treed one with coon dogs about 3 years ago, but didn’t shoot it. They are very illusive, so was unable to get a photo. Wish I had though!

  39. Susan Mittelstadt

    Four of us in the Sierra del Carmen along Rio Grande saw a strange shaped dark low slung animal. I thought it was a giant squirrel or otter. With binoculars we thought feral cat. Have a photo of prints. Thinking jaguarundi. We were up a remote rarely visited side canyon.

  40. Mark Sanders

    I saw a jaguarundi in SW Arizona a couple of weeks ago . Wasn’t sure what it was but after seeing a few photos I am now 100% positive . I have a game camera set up in the area and hoping to get a shot of it .

  41. Pat Bumstead

    We’re not doubting all the sightings in Texas as we receive so many reports of them. However, we still have not received a photo of these cats from anyone who has reported seeing them. If you could manage to get a photograph of your sightings I know a few scientists who would be very happy! You can email us at smallwildcats [at] gmail.com if you get a picture.

  42. Carolyn Fairless

    I’ve had three sightings of jaguarundi within a few miles of my house in northeast Texas over the last few months. The first two times I thought it was an odd looking creature but wrote it off as distorted views. Friday I saw two cross a county road directly in front of me, one following another. I wasn’t able to get my phone in time to take a photo but immediately looked up wild cats of Texas and there it was, the animal I’m certain I saw.

  43. John Deal

    Saw a jaguarundi on hiking trail at George Bush. Park in Houston on September 6th 2018.

  44. Tammy Gonzale

    We live in an area 10 miles from Lake Whitney and 20 miles out of Waco, Texas along the Brazos River. We have observed this cat 2 nights in a row. Amazing to watch as it crosses our 30 acres. Hopefully will come back and we can get pictures.

  45. Pat Bumstead

    Can you give us more details? We would love to hear the history on this cat, or see a photo of the stuffed animal.

  46. James

    I live by laguna atascosa, I see these little guys on a regular basis. I have game cams all over my compound and I catch these little critters on the regular. Those and Ocelots even a puma. Lots of wildlife near me. Where do I send pictures?

  47. Nancy Beams

    There is a “stuffed” Jaguarundi on display in Eustis, FL. It was hit by a car while crossing Rte. 42.

  48. Pat Bumstead

    There have never been any jaguarundi recorded in Florida. If that’s what you saw, it might have been an escapee from a zoo or other captive situation.

  49. Sue

    I saw a jaguarundi in North Port Fl yesterday am 5/3/18. I never have heard of them before seeing one. Smashed face, shorter front legs and dark brown. Found a picture and that’s exactly what I saw.

  50. Pat Bumstead

    Thanks for the update! Your description certainly sounds like a jaguarundi. We’ll add your location to our list of sightings.

  51. Luke Haffeman

    Thought you might be interested, just saw a jaguarundi 3 miles east of Sterling City tx. at about 6:00 p.m. Didn’t know what it was until checking. Definitely cat family. Over 3 foot long, at least half of it tail. Low slung and solid brown leaning towards red. Flat head. Very healthy looking beautiful and fast.

  52. Patrick T Crissy

    Saw one in North Port fl 3 yrs ago at dawn. It was considering making a snack out of a small dog out on a neighbors patio. I startled it. It stopped and looked at me for a moment and then bounded for the woods. I called Universities and Florida Wildlife. everyone said I was crazy and I saw a large Black Cat. Funny how I had a giant black cat living with me for 3 years who did not have round ears or look anything like that.

  53. Norma Sandoval

    I’m in Laredo tx, around 730pm 9/14/17, I saw one try to cross a busy road headed for a park that has a pond. It ran back into the brush located at the west side of Laredo airport. Couldn’t take picture it happened too fast. It was cinnamon Brown, with black stout face, bushy weird tail, short legs, bigger than a cat,

  54. Lindsey

    My mother in law saw a large cat by her house in Brazoria on Saturday, and then had a chicken come up missing the same day. She later found some feathers. After looking up a jaguarundi, she is convinced that is what it was. I will have her take a picture next time.

  55. William schendel

    Around 3 this afternoon we saw a light redish tan colored cat with a long thin tale and a short face on are ranch in goliad texas. We are going to put some cameras out at the water holes tomorrow and see if we can get a picture of it. 110 percent sure it was a jaguarundi it was 30 feet from the truck!

  56. Melinda Lively

    I think my husband and I may have seen one of these this evening right at dusk here on Lake Fork near Yantis Texas. It ran is front of our golf cart a ways ahead of us, it had the gait of a domestic cat, but much larger. Approx 18-in tall 2 ft long with a really long tail for the body. I did not get a good look at the head before it disappeared into heavy brush. But I will be putting up a game camera tomorrow! Hope it comes by again! Pretty cool. It was very dark in color, almost black, but with dusk setting in it was hard to tell if it had any other color.

  57. Pat Bumstead

    From your description, it certainly sounds like a jaguarundi. It might be worth a phone call to local wildlife authorities to see if anyone else has seen this animal.

  58. Ron Lasseter

    My wife and I believe we saw a Jaguarundi on the north shore of Lake Travis. We were sitting on our patio one morning in early June 2017. We had no idea what it was. We saw it in the green belt behind our home. It was grayish brown with a long tail, a long body and short legs. The head was flattened. It had a strange gait almost like a reptile. We eliminated cougar, bobcat, house cat, ring tailed cat, racoon and continued. It looked more like a Jaguarundi because of the short legs, long body and long tail. The tail was not erect, but was low near ground.

  59. Pat Bumstead

    Jaguarundi are small cats and never reach 6 feet long, but we would really love to see some photos of these cats you’re talking about!

  60. Rose

    We have lived and hiked along the lakes and creeks in Belton, TX with Jaguarundis as common sitings for the past 30 years. They are prolific here, often seen at dawn or dusk, are not afraid of people or dogs. Our Jaguarundis are larger than noted above, often nearly 6′ long and appear to weigh well over 40 lbs. It is always a joy to see a large wild animal lumbering along without concern for humans nearby.

  61. Regina Barrett

    Is thought I saw a mother and her young in a Cross the street in front of me to get to a swamp area. It had the same build and rust color. This occurred about ten years ago, in a suburb north of Tampa, FL. Just Inquiring. They were beautiful and exquisite animals.🐱

  62. Jay Guerrero

    I spotted a mid size cat last night 2/19/17 attempting to cross a road very near a saltwater flat. I instantly recognized it as not being a typical house cat. The glimpse was quick and I thought I saw some sort of pattern but the coloration was far too dark to be an ocelot. Was slightly larger than a house cat, with a rounded face and rounded ears. Somewhat large eyes. The build was absolutely different than anything I’ve spotted before.
    Upon dicsussing it with some friends I found one who came face to face with one in the same region (roughly 1-2 miles north in the same wetland/ scrub. He descrivbed a classic jaguarundi. He says he has pictures somewhere and I am hoping he is able to find them.
    I went out today to track the animal but had little luck. There are trails and signs of predation but the area is fairly large. Have you any tips for trying to track him/her so I can setup a game camera? This is in Nueces county.

  63. Pat Bumstead

    Please send your photos to smallwildcats@gmail.com and we’ll take a look. There has never been a jaguarundi reported in Alabama but there is always the possibility your cat could be a black bobcat, which would be incredibly rare. On the other hand, you never know with wild cats…

  64. Tony Myrick

    When I say hundreds of pictures. That’s of deer , raccoons, squirrels ect. I have two shots of the black cat. But the cam stayed in one spot for a year. Raccoons claimed the tree and tilted it a few times but it’s never been moved.

  65. Tony Myrick

    I live Alabama. 58 years old former lab tech for Auburn University. A recent trail cam picture of hundreds of shots on fire break trail revealed a black cat picture that is at least as large as a Bobcat taken in the same spot. I also have a second shot two days later on reveals his rear end and legs. I can gladly send you some pictures that you can use as comparison for scale. There is no nearby homes for this to be a feral cat. One look at the picture of his body and you’ll know. Where can I send you my pictures ?

  66. Pat Bumstead

    We don’t breed wild cats, but our resources say the kittens are born fully furred with spots on their bellies. They are not spotted like puma kittens.

  67. Wendy Wichelman-Debbas

    We had a breeding pair of Jaguarundi on loan from a zoo in Brazil- I am wondering about the idea that the kittens are born with spots- non of the kittens(10) that were born at our facility had spots at any time. Most of the wild cat books make the spotted kitten claim, but is it really true?

  68. Cory Anderson

    Saw a grey jaguarundi at dusk in the Aransas wildlife preserve about 8 years ago in November. He was on the road in front of our car and just stopped when he heard us. We must have been able to view him for 30 – 45 seconds, before he turned and went into the brush. Long thin tail, up in the air, rounded ears and about a 1/3rd larger than a big house cat. He turned and looked right at us, before he slipped away.

  69. Pat Bumstead

    Thanks for letting us know. Not quite sure what you saw as jaguarundi have very skinny tails, but maybe he was warning you off! Will add your sighting to our growing list of repots from Texas.

  70. Janie Dann

    My husband and I were walking to the barn, at midnight, to check on a horse. I caught the reflection of a pair of eyes with the flashlight and walked over to investigate. There in the underbrush was an odd cat like creature with a long body and fox like tail, grayish in color. It was frozen in the bright light for at least a minute. Although we didn’t get a photo we did get a good long look at the little guy. We guess it was around 15 or 20 pounds and not a Bobcat; we see a lot of those. Thanks to the internet we feel sure it’s a Jaguarundi. We live in Johnson County Texas, south of Fort Worth. Sighting 11/22/16.

  71. Pat Bumstead

    If your cat was grey and had a long tail it was not a bobcat. Late fall is peak mating season in the northern part of the jaguarundi range, so a kitten in November would make sense. We are getting flooded with jaguarundi sightings in Texas but still no one has taken a photo! If you see the cat again, please try for a picture so we can show it to the scientists.

  72. Pat Bumstead

    I’m guessing you mean Inks Lake State Park in Texas. We will add your sighting to the growing number of jaguarundi reports we are getting from folks in various parts of that state. Thanks for letting us know!

  73. Judy Manning

    I saw a jaguarundi at Inks Lake State Park. I am very familiar with domestic cats having owned about a dozen! It was a dark gray color and had a long full tail. What made me realize that it wasn’t a domestic cat (there are some feral ones at Inks Lake) was the small ears and the shape of the face. I walked in it’s direction but it disappeared quickly so I couldn’t get a picture. After researching online, I am positive a jaguarundi is what I saw!

  74. Meg Jimenez

    My daughter thinks she saw one in San Marcos, Texas a couple of years ago when she was a student at the university there.

  75. Helen Brown

    I’m visiting my grand-kids in Sanger, TX. Their parents live on a rental property with close to four and a half acres, having three storage barns and overgrown brush around them mid way on the property. Two days ago, while exploring the back of the lot with the dog, we found a gray kitten. The dog and kitten were nose to nose in the brush then the kitten ran into a large pipe which the dog couldn’t fit. With the help of my grandson, we got the kitten to leave the pipe running out of sight. Fortunately, the dog was on my side of the pipe, missing the kitten’s great escape. My grandson, on the other side of the pipe, saw it leave and said it was a baby bobcat. This morning, as I glanced out the kitchen window, there was a long slender gray animal with a long tail moving toward the area toward where we spotted the kitten. It was exciting to see, I assumed it was the mother bobcat. After looking up wild cats of Texas information, it couldn’t be a bobcat. The big cat I saw fits the description of a Jaguarundi.

  76. Pat Bumstead

    We’re not aware of any release of jaguarundi in Texas, as they have never been close to endangered. The wealth of sightings we’re getting over the last couple of years likely means the cats have wandered north from Mexico.

  77. Pat Bumstead

    Officially, there are no jaguarundi in Texas. Unofficially, we are swamped with sightings from all over that state, and the descriptions always match those of the jaguarundi. It is more than possible these cats are wandering north from Mexico, but unfortunately no one who has reported them has been able to provide a photo. Without definite proof we can’t get the scientists out there, but it shouldn’t be long before someone snaps a pic of these cats in Texas!

  78. Meg Jimenez

    I believe I saw one of these creatures yesterday, here in Temple, TX (which is in Central TX), around 1:45 p.m. It was creeping around an empty lot that is right next to a creek that runs through my neighborhood. I say empty lot, but there is a garage there, all that is left of the home that burned nearly a year ago. It was so odd looking to me that I stopped my car right in the middle of the road to have a look. It was probably around 18#, brownish and no markings, with a thick tail. At first I though perhaps a fox (we’ve had those around here) but it had a small, feline-ish head–definitely not a fox head. It was so odd-looking to me that I stopped in the middle of the road to watch it. I wish I had taken a picture, but was really not in a good position to do so. I drove on and later described it to my husband, who suggested that it might have been a jaguarundi (I had never heard of this animal before). I googled and sure enough, this is what I saw.

  79. Carol Masters

    Saw two of them about two weeks ago near our land. We were out walking and they crossed in front of us. Talked to my friend who has lived hear all her life. She said they (?) released some here in east Texas in the ’60s . ( Panola Co, TX)

  80. Josh w

    Spotted a jaguarundi in Blanco County, Texas. I fed jaguarundi at an animal rescue center in Peru everyday for a month, so I was certain that it was a jaguarundi.

  81. Pat Bumstead

    We have received many reports of these cats in Texas, from reliable sources who know their animals. Unfortunately, none of the people that have contacted us have been able to provide a photograph. Scientists are a skeptical bunch, and would like photo proof before admitting the cats are there. However, I will pass your sighting on and hopefully someone will be interested enough to set up camera traps! Please let us know if you see the cat again.

  82. Sophia Butler

    I realize it has been a couple of years since this post but we saw one this morning
    We live outside of College Station Texas just a few miles from last post. We are 100 percent sure of siting, as we were just feet from him. My sister was in taxidermy for years and has seen several of these cats. I have been in Veterinary Medicine for 40 years and have no doubt. Seeing the closeness of the above siting confirms it. Would love to talk to someone about this. It was a medium brown color all over, about 4 ft long.

  83. Pat Bumstead

    We have never had any reports of jaguarundi in Virgina, and there are no records of them ever living there. However, your cat could be an escaped zoo animal or pet. I cannot think of any other animal that looks like the one you describe. Please keep us posted if anyone gets a photo!

  84. Sheri Poff

    Here in Floyd County, Virginia – we believe we saw Black Jaguarundi in our back yard on the morning of April 21st, 2016. I remember he was about the size of a medium sized dog – black coat with long slender black body and that long thick black tail. I remember he had a dark chestnut color around his face and neck. I saw him get up and walk and he was defiantly some sort of feline wild cat with how he walked and those feline back legs!
    Today I opened my local morning paper The Floyd Press in Floyd, VA on Sept 8th, 2016 – someone in Floyd County Virginia posted article in this weeks paper that on August 30th, 2016 they were driving in Floyd midday and saw what looked like a black wild cat cross the road. They described it in the article that “The animal was black, and I thought it was a dog, but it had that thick, long tail.” So me and another person in Floyd County, Virginia have seen what looks like a black cat with long black body and long black tail that is the same size as a medium sized dog. I unfortunately did not get a picture taken of him in our yard. And there is no picture of him in The Floyd Press. Unsure exactly what type of wild black cat it is – but after I saw him in our yard back on April 21st, 2016 I thought he looked really close to a black jaguarundi. Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries is telling me that they can not determine what type of black wild cat it is until someone takes photo of him so they can determine what it is! Has anyone else heard of black jaguarondi being seen in Southwest Virginia – preferably in Floyd County, Virginia?

  85. Pat Bumstead

    Jaguarundi are not much bigger than a large house cat, but longer. They don’t come anywhere near the size of a Great Dane. Sounds like you might have seen a cougar instead!

  86. S Neal

    We just saw one cross the road (about the size of a Great Dane dog) in Refigio county Texas on Hwy 2678. We thought it was a deer or large dog until we noted the long tail & body style as we approached closer.

  87. Pat Bumstead

    We’re not actually sure what kind of cat you saw. Jaguarundi do not have any spots on their coat at all. Ocelots have spots but their coat is not generally grey. If you are sure the cat had a spotted coat, we would lean more towards it being an ocelot. What an amazingly cool thing to see from your pool!

  88. rafa

    was in my pool ,alone and it was quiet in the late afternoon and a jaguarundi came through the wrought iron fence and started to come in the pools area.. It was about 30 feet away and when I yelled it went back through the fence…and down below the pool area,which has a lot of jungle..It was not really afraid..,but left..I have never seen anything like it here before..It was like a large cat ,but with the Grey coat covered with white spots… live outside of Puerto Vallarta,Mex. and it is jungle…What a treat….March 7,2016

  89. Lureta

    A jaguarundi crossed the road in the early evening. Malecotos, Ecuador….a gift to see this beautiful, wild , and exotic creature.

  90. Cliff

    I saw one of these Saturday January 9, 2016 in San Antonio on Holbrook road on my bicycle with my son. I thought it was bigger than the purported 15 lbs as max weight.

  91. Magg

    I saw a black cat cross into the brush at our ranch near Junction. It was night so I did not get a good look, but saw a long black tail on bobcat size cat. Also Live Oak Ranch has a picture from a game camera. The ranch is outside of Uvalde Tx. They are definitely here.

  92. Misty

    About a month ago driving to work I had one run across the road in front of my car. I also came home and googled as soon as I saw a picture I was surprised never heard of them before. I got a very close look at it since I had to slam on my brakes and let it run across in front of me but no pix since I was driving. I look for it every day now. North Texas here.

  93. Chris

    I saw a large cat cross the road the other day. I described it to my neighbor and we both came up with the jaguarundi after our internet searches. Small head, long, thick tail and darkish in color. I live in the Lake Buchanan area of the Texas Hill Country. I was about 60 to 70 feet from it but it walked slow enough to get a good look at it.

    I saw a mountain lion cross in almost the same spot about 10 years ago. Of course, I have no photos of either.

  94. Pat Bumstead

    The jaguarundi sightings in Texas continue to come in, but to date no one has been able to provide any photographs. The last report came from 15 miles NE of Corpus Christi. Although this person said he had a photo, he has not sent it to us so we can’t confirm anything. All of these sightings might just mean something, but at this point we don’t know for sure!

  95. paolipam

    Pat Bumstead, has anyone been able to produce acceptable proof and/or photographs of their jaguarundi sightings in Texas? I live in SE Oklahoma and would be very interested to know if they have gotten as far as just south of Ft Worth. Also, there is plenty of habitat in this area that I believe would be ideal for the cat’s recovery as a viable species as long as enough pairs can migrate here.

  96. James

    I have a picture of one living on my land.It’s black and has a kitten with it.

  97. Karen Knustrom

    My husband believes he saw one of these today while working on a ranch in a rural area about 90 miles south of Ft Worth Texas. At the time he saw the animal he did not know what it was but after some research on the internet he has identified it as a Jaguarundi. There has been at least one other anecdotal sighting in this same rural area. We will try and get a photo if there is another sighting of this cat.

  98. Pat Bumstead

    We get many comments and emails from people in Texas who swear they have seen a jaguarundi. Officially, this cat is not found in the USA but the increasing number of reports sure indicate something is out there. None of the people who contact us, however, have been able to provide a photograph. If we had a picture, we could perhaps get someone out there to investigate. Keep us posted if you see one again!

  99. kenny

    I am sure I just saw one of these a few minutes ago.. I am an artist and was so shocked by it I did a quick sketch then came searching for it on google.. North East Texas

  100. jfgeorgetown

    03/02/2015

    I have seen one on two separate occasions within 1/4 mile of each other in Georgetown, TX. Probably the same one.

  101. Pat Bumstead

    We are getting a lot of comments from people in north Texas who are reporting jaguarundi on their property. Unfortunately no one has been able to send us any pictures of them. We would be very interested in seeing your neighbor’s photos, as to date there has been no definite proof they live in that area. Thanks for letting us know!

  102. Lacey

    There is a black one that has been seen in my pasture in north central Texas. A neighbor also managed to get a photo of the same one (or one that looked exactly like it) in his pasture about 2 miles away.

  103. Username*

    I live in Gallup NM and there have been three sightings of an animal matching the description of a Jaguarundi. I work for the local Law Enforcement Agency and was wondering what type of things to look for in order to trap and relocate this animal and what things to inform my community while this animal is on the loose. There are reports of small animals missing. But I am more concerned with the safe removal and relocation of this animal. Please e-mail me with advice.

  104. Pat Bumstead

    Is there any chance you got a photo? This is a long ways north of where jaguarundis are supposed to be in Texas. Most of them are thought to be right around the Mexico border. It would be wonderful to prove they are roaming more of the state!

  105. ilsch

    I just saw one yesterday morning – crossing the road where I live with a baby rabbit as prey. I had no idea what it was, then googled it, I had no idea this species existed. It all fits. This is east of central Texas, about 5-6 miles outside of Somerville. There is habitat, and there is food (lots and lots of rabbits, among other things).

  106. Aunt Raven

    Noted Texas journalist Leon Hale, a good amateur naturalist, thinks he spotted a jaguarundi at dusk in central Texas this June, 2014. Look for his blog for the Houston Chronicle.

  107. Morgen Bosler

    I just saw one of these beautiful cats cross the road in front of me while traveling from Tulum to Punta Allen . What a amazing moment !

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