The jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi) is a small species of cat living in the Americas from the US states of Arizona and Texas south to Argentina and across most of Central and South America. It is about 30.5 inches long (77 cm) and weighs about 20 pounds (90 kg). It has a small head and a long body with short limbs. For this reason (and also because of its rather dark fur and short rounded ears) it has been called the otter-cat as it resembles that mustelid carnivore (or else weasel cat). It has a number of local names in the Latin American countries in Spanish and Portuguese such as tigrillo, leoncito, gato colorado or onza. The coat can be gray or red with lighter fur underneath. Newborns have dark spots.

In their habitat of grass and shrubland, swampy or tropical forest, they hunt a variety of small mammals and just about anything: reptiles, birds, frogs, marmosets, opossums and fish (they are good swimmers). They do their hunting and stalking mostly during the daytime hours. It doesn’t bother to make a den of its own instead it will look for a natural den in caves or in a cluster of rocks on a bank or in a depression in the tall grass.

They live for about 15 years, are shy, and usually found living alone. They have a wider range of vocalizations than most cats for example they sometimes yap, chirp or whistle. Females give birth to 1 to 4 cubs in the summer or in tropical regions mothers can give birth to two litters in a year.