The animal I am most looking forward to seeing is the jaguarundi. It looks like a cross between a cat and a weasel. It's only about 30 inches across.
It can typically be found in the lowlands and shrub areas of Mexico all the way down to South America. It is good at catching fish with their front paws. Oh, and when they are born they have spots like some of their big cat relatives, but lose these spots around four months of age.
I don't know why I'm so excited to see them, but they are so gosh darn cute and I love big cats, and it's especially fascinating how this one looks like a cross between a puma and weasel.
Erin, this is a very handsome animal - hope we get to see one!
The Jaguarandi's habitat consists of lowland areas with good cover to hunt. Typically they can be found in the forests or scrubby land areas of Central and South America. They are not seen in dense, tropial forests.
ReplyDeleteIn the south United States, the Jaguarandi is classified as endangered due to deforestation and human developments of it's habitat. In Central and South America though, it is classified as low concern.
-Erin Achenbach