Gulf Coast jaguarundi

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Gulf Coast jaguarundi
Herpailurus yagouaroundi cacomitli.jpg
Endangered (US Fish and Wildlife Service)[1]
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Felidae
Subfamily: Felinae
Genus: Herpailurus
Species:
H. yagouaroundi
Subspecies:
H. y. cacomitli
Trinomial name
Herpailurus yagouaroundi cacomitli
(, 1859)
Synonyms
  • apache (Mearns, 1901)

The Gulf Coast jaguarundi is an endangered population of the jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi) once ranging from southern Texas in the United States to eastern Mexico. The cat prefers dense shrubland and woodland, yet has been hampered by habitat loss. In 2017, the International Union for Conservation of Nature no longer recognised Gulf Coast jaguarundi or other populations as subspecies.[2]

Description[]

This cat is larger than a normal domestic cat, but smaller than a cougar. It has been compared to a weasel and otter. Their fur is of a dark-brown or grayish color because they reside in low-light areas such as forests and thick shrubs.[3][4] Their otter-like appearance is shown in their short legs and long, flat tails. The weasel-like appearance stems from having a small, flat head, short, round ears and a long slender body. Their body size can reach up to 77 centimetres (30 in) and their tail up to 60 centimetres (24 in) in length. Their average weight is about 6 kilograms (13 lb).[5]

Habitat and distribution[]

The Gulf Coast jaguarundi ranges from southern Texas in the United States south to Veracruz and San Luis Potosí in eastern Mexico.[6] This cat looks like a large weasel or otter with a coat in one of three color phases: black, reddish-brown or brownish-gray.[7] Darker varieties tend to be found in darker places, like forests, than those who are lighter in hue, which prefer more open areas.[8] It is considered possibly extirpated from Texas (and the United States as a whole) by most sources, including the IUCN.[9]

It can be found in the Western Gulf coastal grasslands, Tamaulipan mezquital, and Tamaulipan matorral.[10] Its preferred habitat are regions of dense, thorny scrub, especially near water,[6] composed of plants such as Spiny Hackberry (Celtis pallida), Brazilian Bluewood (), Desert Yaupon (), Berlandier's Wolfberry (Lycium berlandieri), Lotebush (Ziziphus obtusifolia), Texas Goatbush (), Whitebrush (), Catclaw Acacia (Senegalia greggii), Blackbrush Acacia (Vachellia rigidula), Velvetleaf Lantana (), Texas Lignum-vitae (Guaiacum angustifolium), Cenizo (Leucophyllum frutescens), Elbowbush (), and Texas Persimmon (Diospyros texana).[7]

Habitat loss is the main reason for the increase in mortality for the jaguarundi. Not enough information has been gathered about the jaguarundi, and because these animals are not widely studied their significance is unclear.[11] Many people remain unaware of this species’ existence, which is contributing to the extinction of the animal.

Evolution[]

The jaguarundi is closely related to the cougar, even though it is only 10% its size; this is proven by its similar genetic structure and chromosome count.[5] Both species are genetically closer to the larger felids; their chromosome numbers are 38, similar to the jaguar's, while smaller felids have 26 chromosomes. The jaguarundi and cougar are classified as part of the genus Puma but the jaguarundi is sometimes classified under Herpailurus, a different genus. According to a study of Felidae, an ancestor of the puma genus migrated across the Bering land bridge into the Americas about 8 to 8 and a half million years ago, and that is how current populations of jaguarundis and cougars in the Americas came to be.

Studies have shown that the closest relative to both the jaguarundi and cougar is the modern cheetah of Africa and Western Asia. The relationship of the cheetah to the jaguarundi is still being debated. One theory is that ancestors of the cheetah separated from the Puma lineage in the Americas, and migrated back to Asia and Africa. Another idea is that the cheetah diverged from the lineage in Asia and Africa. It is also hypothesized that the evolution of the jaguarundis came about because an isolated population of cougars began focusing on small prey to avoid competition with larger predators like jaguars, saber-tooths, and lions. Studies suggest that cougars usually take smaller prey than jaguars, and that there is not a lot of overlap in their choices of prey. In some places with scarce prey available, the ancestral population of cougars may have been forced to hunt even smaller prey, and this led to the eventual formation of smaller animals, the jaguarundis.[5]

Ecology[]

Reproduction[]

Mating season for the jaguarundi is believed to be in the months of November and December.[3] A female jaguarundi's pregnancy cycle, or gestation period, lasts about 70–75 days. At the time of birth, the female will have anywhere between 1–4 kittens, each weighing 4–7 kilograms.[3][12] Like their relative, the cougar, the kittens between the ages of 0 and 12 weeks will have spots on their coats; however, around month 3 or 4, the kittens’ spots are lost.[13] At 6 weeks of age, the cats will begin eating solid foods, usually rodents. Shortly after, they leave their mothers, and within 2–3 years, achieve sexual maturity.[12][14] Their life expectancy is very impressive, ranging from 16–22 years in captivity. In the wild, its longevity is approximately 10–15 years, a feat most attributable to their well-protected den.[4][12][13]

Diet[]

The jaguarundi has a carnivorous diet. The animals they hunt tend to be relatively small animals. Small mammals, birds, frogs, and fish are a few of the wide variety of prey that the jaguarundi feeds on. These cats may have adapted to eating a wide variety of animal because of the scarcity of food.[15]

Threats[]

The Southwestern Association of Naturalists, an organization of 791 scientists (at time of publication) specializing in the zoology, botany, and ecology of southwestern USA and Mexico, published a resolution in 2008 expressing opposition to the Mexico–United States barrier "based on sound and accurate scientific knowledge" and its negative impact on "many rare, threatened and endangered species", "particularly endangered mammals such as the jaguar, ocelot, jaguarondi, and Sonoran pronghorn" citing literature within their resolution.[16] Over 2500 scientist from 43 countries (including 1472 from the USA and 616 from Mexico) also published a statement in 2018 stating the Border Wall will have "significant consequences for biodiversity" and "Already-built sections of the wall are reducing the area, quality, and connectivity of plant and animal habitats and are compromising more than a century of binational investment in conservation" citing published scientific studies therein.[17] A few patches of good habitat remain in south Texas, despite having been largely destroyed by the construction of the border fence.[18]

Conservation efforts[]

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service listed Gulf Coast jaguarundi as endangered in 1976.[8] The agency has proposed steps to reestablish jaguarundi populations, but has so far failed to fulfill many of them. Some of these steps include assessing habitat and land connectivity to support viable populations, developing survey techniques to ascertain their status and better understand their ecological and conservation needs, and developing partnerships to help promote jaguarundi conservation.[19] The biggest threat to the Gulf Coast jaguarundis is the Mexico–U.S. border fence, as it fragments populations and prevents migration.[20] Additionally, jaguarundis are facing habitat loss, so the Fish and Wildlife Service is planting shrubs and plants found in a jaguarundi's natural environment in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.[19]

References[]

  1. ^ "Gulf Coast jaguarundi".
  2. ^ Kitchener, A.C.; Breitenmoser-Würsten, C.; Eizirik, E.; Gentry, A.; Werdelin, L.; Wilting, A. & Yamaguchi, N. (2017). "A revised taxonomy of the Felidae: The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group" (PDF). Cat News (Special Issue 11).
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c "NOAA" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-11-03. Retrieved 2014-10-24.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b University of Arizona
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c Mark Gelbart
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b "Puma yagouaroundi cacomitli". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b "Jaguarundi" (PDF). Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b "Gulf Coast jaguarundi (Herpailurus (=Felis) yagouaroundi cacomitli)". Environmental Conservation Online System. United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Archived from the original on 2012-12-12. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
  9. ^ Caso, A., de Oliveira, T. & Carvajal, S.V. 2015. Herpailurus yagouaroundi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T9948A50653167. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T9948A50653167.en. Downloaded on 24 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Fauna Silvestre Presente en el Estado de Nuevo Leon" (PDF) (in Spanish). Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-12-05. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  11. ^ “Jaguarundi: Herpailuras yagouaroundi ESA status: endangered.” WildEarth Guardians: A Force for Nature. 2011. Web. 23 Oct. 2014
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b c Big Cat Rescue
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b T4 Studios
  14. ^ The Jungle Store
  15. ^ Rick, J. 2004. "Puma yagouaroundi" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed October 24, 2014 here Archived 2003-08-21 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ Southwestern Association of Naturalists (SWAN) 2008. Resolution on the US -Mexico Border Fence.
  17. ^ Peters, Robert et al. 2018. Nature Divided, Scientists United: US–Mexico Border Wall Threatens Biodiversity and Binational Conservation. BioScience, 68 (10): 740–743. https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/68/10/740/5057517
  18. ^ Dinets, Vladimir 1915. Peterson Field Guide to Finding Mammals in North America. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Publishing Co. New York NY. xiii, 348 pp. ISBN 978-0-544-37327-3
  19. ^ Jump up to: a b Federal Register
  20. ^ Biodiversity Warriors

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