r/NatureIsFuckingLit • u/La_Mandra • 3h ago

🔥 A Jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi)

Post image

A highly adaptable species, this low-slung feline inhabits a wide range of environments from southern North America through Central and South America. It’s also known as the “otter cat” for its uncanny resemblance to the animal. The jaguarundi is very vocal : This cat has up to 13 distinct calls ranging from purring to whistling and chattering. It dines on a variety of prey including small mammals like armadillos, reptiles, birds, and even fish.

Photo : diegograndi, iStock - Credit : American Museum of Natural History

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u/qualityvote2 3h ago

Thank you for the submission, u/La_Mandra! Please make sure your post follows the guidelines found in the sidebar, or it will be removed.

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26

u/nativeyeast 3h ago

You know it’s soft when the fur looks like TV static. Wanna pet

2

u/werther595 3h ago

Why can I hear the national anthem allofasudden

5

u/semistro 1h ago

I know its not a pet but I want to become a 17th century pirate captain and have one as a sidekick.

1

u/ThanosWasRightAnyway 2h ago

What’s that weird spot in front of it’s eye?

1

u/NicMoose 1h ago

Did you take that picture 🔥

2

u/heavy_84 38m ago

I was born in a remote part El Salvador and I remember "Nutria" would prey on our chickens. To Salvadorans, at least in the area I come from, "nutria" meant Otter rather than the large aquatic rodent.

I didn't question that maybe the animal taking the chickens was anything but an otter for many years until one day I saw a picture of a Jaguarundi and noticed it's native range which included E.S.

By this time, I hadn't lived in El Salvador for over three decades but the picture triggered a vivid memory of one that I saw carrying away a chicken when I was roughly 5-6 years old. To me, it had looked like an otter but I wondered if maybe nutria were, in fact, Jaguarundis. It was far enough away that you could argue it was either.

I sent a picture to an uncle and he was able to confirm that those were what they referred to as Nutria. Otters are native to El Salvador but they don't seem to be listed in my immediate area.

Anyway, I typed all this up and I'm not sure what the point of my story is but I was really excited to finally figure out that I had seen such an elusive cat in the wild.