Nature is especially rich in biodiversity, thousands of species of animals of all sizes and colors have roamed the Earth. However, some go almost unnoticed, that is the case of the jaguarundi, a mysterious little-studied feline that despite being the most common in the Western Hemisphere, little is known about it and it could be in danger.
Jaguarundi: the little-studied feline species
Also known as jaguarundi, it is a wild cat that lives from southern Texas to central Argentina. Its presence almost completely covers the American cone, however, it does not have a showy coat and has been very little studied. It is very similar to a domestic one, with the difference that it is twice the size and lives in the wild.
It is related to the puma except that it is much smaller, although not as small as a cat. Its legs are short and its body is elongated. Their ears are not that big, rather small and somewhat rounded. Their size ranges from 53 to 77 centimeters long and they can live up to 15 years. It is agile like a weasel and its tail is elongated like that of an otter.
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Perhaps one of the reasons why it is little known is that its fur is not as visible as that of other feline species. It has a reddish brown or silver fur, thanks to which the jaguarundi has escaped persecution unlike other felines coveted for their skins.
Currently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the jaguarundi as Least Concern (LC). However, and despite the fact that its habitat extends across almost the entire continent, very little is actually known about this mysterious feline. For this reason, it is not objective to consider that its population is stable and, on the contrary, could be decreasing.
Main threats
The jaguarundi can live in different habitats. From the low bushes of the US border with Mexico, passing through meadows and forests. The ecological regions of are of utmost importance for this mysterious feline.
Hence, biologists express their concern for the species, which although it is classified as Least Concern, could be in danger because its favorite habitat, the tropical lowlands, is threatened. The loss of natural habitats represents one of the main threats when it comes to endangered species.
Unfortunately, too little is known about the so-called “otter cat” or “weasel cat” to determine the real status of its species. In fact, in the United States, they have been on the list of threatened species since 1976. A clear example that there is no conclusive research that demonstrates the real state of jaguarundi populations in America. More research is required in this regard to safeguard the integrity of this feline that, although it does not have the flashiness of other species, is equally important for American ecosystems.