The jaguarundi sightings in Texas continue to come in, but to date no one has been able to provide any photographs. We are between Tallahasse and Jacksonville in North Florida. It was hit by a car while crossing Rte. I only saw the cat from behind and only for a few seconds before he took off ahead out of sight. It calls for at least three separate populations, with a total size of 500 individuals. I saw a black cat cross into the brush at our ranch near Junction. Jaguarundi can jump as high as 6.5 feet to catch a bird in flight. We are 100 percent sure of siting, as we were just feet from him. The father is a jaguarundi curl munchkin chocolate Lynx pt and the mom is a calico munchkin. The rough Lat/Long was 33.80527, -110.93790. Fortunately, organizations such as Big Cat Rescue have taken steps to help research this cats population and put protections into place. He is about 2 months old. We do not raise any wild cats here so are unable to advise. You can email us the photo of this cat so we can see what were dealing with. Jaguarundi are about half the size of a German Shepard or black Lab, and much skinnier. 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). It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, but populations are in decline in many parts of its range due to loss and fragmentation of habitat and persecution for killing poultry. 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. This is east of central Texas, about 5-6 miles outside of Somerville. A female jaguarundi makes a nest for her young in a thicket or in the hollow of a tree. Usually, it is active in the late afternoon into the evening. Oversized Shipping: $99.00/item. Territories varied considerably between males and females, measuring 88 100 km for each of two adult males and 13 20 km for an adult female. Alternatively, the jaguarundi stands a little over one foot tall and can weigh up to 20 pounds. released some here in east Texas in the 60s . Its coloration is uniform with two color morphs, gray and red. The head was flattened. 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! Animals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents. Here are three more strange sightings in North Florida. They will usually become independent at around 10 months. Fish is the main diet of this cat. 110 percent sure it was a jaguarundi it was 30 feet from the truck! Jaguarundi young can live independently at ten months old. If thats what you saw, it might have been an escapee from a zoo or other captive situation. The glimpse was quick and I thought I saw some sort of pattern but the coloration was far too dark to be an ocelot. However, your cat could be an escaped zoo animal or pet. Jaguarundis are polygynous, which means that one male gets exclusive mating rights with multiple females. My grandson, on the other side of the pipe, saw it leave and said it was a baby bobcat. There is no nearby homes for this to be a feral cat. Their long tail aids in balance jumping from branch to branch. A coyote also has the speed to pursue and capture a jaguarundi. Unlike other sympatric cats such as the ocelot, the jaguarundi is more active during the day and hunts mainly during daytime and evening hours. I had a face off with it, at dusk. We have never had any reports of jaguarundi in Virgina, and there are no records of them ever living there. Would love to talk to someone about this. You can find the perfect cat or kitten for you with our free classifieds. Jaguarundi can jump as high as 6.5 feet to catch a bird in flight. It was a dark gray color and had a long full tail. The cat matures and becomes sexually active after two years. No. My husband and I were riding the trails near the Rio Grande river and saw one of these cats, fairly close up. Its a great swimmer too! Nice sighting. Saw one in North Port fl 3 yrs ago at dawn. Breeding may take place at any time of the year. It is considered Near Threatened in Argentina and Threatened in Mexico. This area is near creeks and a river. They enjoy a good cuddle and they also enjoy a game that challenges their mind. It has a long body and short-ish legs, and appears in two main colors: either deep red or dark brown / black. Today I tried to google it again and sure enough, this is what I saw. We live at 4600 feet elevation in the western Sierra Madre mountains. Unofficially, we are swamped with sightings from all over that state, and the descriptions always match those of the jaguarundi. Simply a love. 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! I am very familiar with domestic cats having owned about a dozen! The spots will have gone when they are 3 months old. Groundhog ticks carry the Powassan virus which can cause brain-swelling. Individuals live in large home ranges, and are sparsely distributed within a region. I have seen one of these in central Mississippi. Have you any tips for trying to track him/her so I can setup a game camera? The ranch is outside of Uvalde Tx. This is a very unique kitten. Secretive and alert, the jaguarundi is usually solitary or varieties pairs within the wild, although captive people are extra gregarious. Read our Complete Guide to Classification of Animals. While searching for information on what I saw, I noticed that there were very few sightings of this animal in Florida. 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. Learn more about us & read our affiliate disclosure. This post may contain affiliate links to our partners like Chewy, Amazon, and others. Both sightings were within a 20 yard radius. More active during daylight hours than other small wild cats, Jaguarundi are the most observed small cat in South America for that reason. Approx 18-in tall 2 ft long with a really long tail for the body. Look at pictures of kittens in Los Angeles who need a home. Two days ago, while exploring the back of the lot with the dog, we found a gray kitten. Here in Floyd County, Virginia we believe we saw Black Jaguarundi in our back yard on the morning of April 21st, 2016. Its not likely you saw a jaguarundi but I cannot even guess what you did see. It was once thought that White German Shepherds were albinos, but that is not the case. I can gladly send you some pictures that you can use as comparison for scale. It was only a few yards from me in the gravel road. Yesterday, my husband and I were riding bikes down a dirt road in Salem, Alabama. In fact, a jaguarundi cat has been more closely linked to the cougar. They are very illusive, so was unable to get a photo. Jaguarundi Profile. It was last week that I came across this amazing cat. She later found some feathers. When it comes to food, the jaguarundi is not choosy, it usually eats rodents, small reptiles, and birds feeding by trees. Will McCarthy, Hi Lloyd, Im writing a story about Jaguarundi and Id love to talk with you about your sighting. None of the people who contact us, however, have been able to provide a photograph. They are born without the ability to see or hear just like just pet kittens in a household. They are copies of the IUCN Red List map . Sighting 11/22/16. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has a recovery plan that would remove the jaguarundi from the endangered species list. Look for his blog for the Houston Chronicle. It has an elongated body, with relatively short legs, a small, narrow head, small, round ears, a short snout, and a long tail, resembling mustelids in these respects. As a jaguarundi is part of the cat family their babies are called kittens. Also, there is plenty of habitat in this area that I believe would be ideal for the cats recovery as a viable species as long as enough pairs can migrate here. They resemble weasels or otters more so than cats. Fortunately, the dog was on my side of the pipe, missing the kittens great escape. The population of this cat is unknown, but biologists categorize it as Least Concern. I did not get a good look at the head before it disappeared into heavy brush. The kittens leave the den after about 4 weeks and are fully weaned after about 6 weeks. We have received many reports of these cats in Texas, from reliable sources who know their animals. help! Please keep us posted and if you get lucky with a picture, let us know at smallwildcats@gmail.com. As this doesnt seem to be applicable now, is it possible to get him to a zoo or wildlife rehabilitation centre? This page contains jaguarundi facts, pictures and information. Flat head. Sharing the same lineage as the mountain lion, they are a solid color and may be rusty-brown or grey. Never pick up baby animals without knowing more about the mother. But, while there are some similarities, there are quite a few differences between these two cats. In a one of a wierd incident, a couple of teenagers discovered that two of the cats rescued by them are Jaguarundi Puma cubs. Size and Appearance: The jaguarundi is unique in its appearance among the felids in that it more closely resembles a weasel. Definitely felt like it was once in a lifetime Id see something like that. I couldnt grasp what I saw, it looked so odd to me. Small head, long, thick tail and darkish in color. Thanks for the update! My husband and I were walking to the barn, at midnight, to check on a horse. Im 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. They live in temperate and tropical climates. Fish & Wildlife Service, Available here: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/laguna_atascosa/wildlife_and_habitat/ocelot.html, Wildcat Family, Available here: https://www.wildcatfamily.com/puma-lineage/jaguarundi-herpailurus-yagouaroundi/, IUCN Red List, Available here: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15953/123791436, Big Cat Rescue, Available here: https://bigcatrescue.org/jaguarundi-facts/. Jaguarundi came up immediately even though supposedly extinct in TX, the description I entered was exactly what others had used to describe them! Though jaguarundis and jaguars are both in the Felidae family, a jaguarundi cat is not a jaguar. The jaguarundi has an elongated body, which gives it the nickname "otter" and "weasel cat". It ran is front of our golf cart a ways ahead of us, it had the gait of a domestic cat, but much larger. There have never been any jaguarundi recorded in Florida. Not much larger than a house cat, the jaguarundi is smaller than the ocelot and weighs between 8 16 pounds. Its a wild animal that needs to live in its own natural habitat. It had a strange gait almost like a reptile. Were not aware of any release of jaguarundi in Texas, as they have never been close to endangered. Complete Guide to Classification of Animals. Kittens are born after 60 75 days of gestation, and females produce 2 4 kittens. It was a really cool and crazy experience!
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