page_title: Jaguarundi
section_title: Diet
hierarchical_section_title: Jaguarundi / Behavior and ecology / Diet
caption_attribution_description: Čeština: Jaguarundi v pražské Zoo
context_page_description: The jaguarundi is a wild cat native to the Americas. Its range extends from central Argentina in the south to the US–Mexico border in the north, through Central and South America east of the Andes. The jaguarundi is a medium-sized cat of slender build. Its coloration is uniform, similar to that of its closest relative, the much larger cougar, but differing significantly from other neotropical cats. It has an elongated body with relatively short legs, a small, narrow head, small, round ears, a short snout and a long tail, resembling otters and weasels in these respects. It is around twice as large as the domestic cat, reaching nearly 36 cm at the shoulder and weighs 3.5–7 kg. It has two color morphs — gray and red.
  Secretive and alert, the jaguarundi is typically solitary or forms pairs in the wild, though captive individuals are more gregarious. Unlike other sympatric cats such as the ocelot, the jaguarundi is more active during the day and hunts mainly during daytime and evening hours. Individuals live in large home ranges, and are sparsely distributed within a region. The jaguarundi is an efficient climber, but typically prefers hunting on ground.
context_section_description: The jaguarundi typically feed on small-sized prey weighing less than 1 kg (2.2 lb), including ground-feeding birds, reptiles, rodents and small mammals. Jaguarundis will also take larger prey such as domestic poultry, fish, marmosets, rabbits and opossums; a study recorded small deer (possibly carrion) in the diet. Vegetation such as grasses have also been recorded in their diet. A study showed jaguarundis take 400 g (14 oz) vertebrate prey on an average everyday. The broad array of prey recorded for the jaguarundi across its range and varying proportions of different prey in its diet could indicate that the cat tends to feed on the most abundant and easily catchable prey in the area.
caption: Jaguarundis are generalist carnivores.
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