Plate 026 · stalking a lizard by a stream IdentificationFive marks on the plate
- 1Small rounded ears, with no white spots behind.
- 2Small flattened head, with an almost straight profile, weasel-like.
- 3Plain unspotted coat, dark grey or reddish tan depending on the animal.
- 4Short legs under a long, low body.
- 5Long thick tail the same colour as the body.
Easily confused with TayraEira barbaraHead paler than the body, a yellow throat patch and very small ears. Geoffroy's catLeopardus geoffroyiBody covered in black spots and a ringed tail. 026 / 100 · MAMMALS · FELIDAELEAST CONCERN Jaguarundi
Herpailurus yagouaroundi
Yaguarundí · Otter cat
A small, long-bodied, short-legged cat that looks more like an otter than a feline. Unlike almost every other wild cat, it hunts by day. In Tucumán there are records from PN Aconquija and the Los Sosa river reserve.
- Weight
- c. 3 – 7 kg
- Altitude
- c. 400 – 1,500 m
- Tail
- over half the body length
- Activity
- daytime
- Day-active cat
- Two colour morphs
- Forest edges
- Elusive
Altitude rangeIn the lower forest and its edges
Foothill and lower montane forest Prefers forest edges, streams and dense scrub in the lower belts. Altitude limits in Tucumán are approximate because records are few.
FoodSmall prey, by day
- Rodentsmice and cavies
- Ground birdstinamous, doves, nestlings
- Lizardson sunny rocks
- Large insectsextra
It hunts on the ground among tall grass and scrub. It can climb but spends little time in trees.
BehaviourAn unusual cat
- Day-active. Its activity peaks in the morning and afternoon, when other cats are resting.
- Very vocal. It uses whistles, chirps and purrs. More than ten distinct calls are known.
- Hard to see. It moves under dense cover. Most records come from camera traps or animals crossing roads.
Where to look in Tucumán- PN Aconquija
- Río Los Sosa
- Sierra de San Javier