International Society For Endangered Cats

A Voice For The Wild Cats of the World

North American Small Wild Cats

Canada Lynx by J. Weaver

North America has three small wild cat species, but there may be an as yet unconfirmed small population of Jaguarundi living in the desert areas north of Mexico.

Jaguarundi Puma  yaguarondi 3-7 kg (possibly found in the US)

Ocelot Leopardus pardalis 8-15 kg (remnant population in Texas only)

Bobcat Lynx rufus 6-20 kg

Canada Lynx Lynx canadensis 8-12 kg

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4 responses to “North American Small Wild Cats”

  1. penny wicks May 4, 2013 at 10:17 am

    I have news for you, the Jaguarundi have been spotted on numerous occasions in North Texas as far back as 15 yrs ago. My ex husband came in from work one evening and was asking me about a black cat that was larger than a regular cat. When I showed him a picture of a Jaguarundi he said that was what he saw early in the predawn hours.
    Now I live about 70 miles east of where this one was sited and have seen them on a lot of occasions mainly at dusk and at night. Long body and tail small head and rounded ears.

    Reply
    • Felids May 7, 2013 at 12:07 pm

      If you are able to get a photograph of the jaguarundi in your area, you would be making history. Lots of people know they’re around, but there hasn’t been any documented evidence for 27 years. If you manage to photograph one please let us know. Biologists would be very interested in proof of their existence in North Texas, as would we!

      Reply
  2. Mark Gurgevich January 12, 2014 at 9:42 am

    These beautiful cats are found all over south texas. I live in Corpus Christi, Texas and have friends with property that they raise cattle on in Premont, Texas and we have seen these cats there on his 50 acres. and the property surrounding his pasture. I have lived in the Coastal Bend of Texas since July of 1977 and was raised in the Rio Grande Valley where there is an abundant pupulation of these cats.

    Reply
  3. P.C. Wicks December 8, 2015 at 12:50 pm

    The Jaguarundi you spoke of has been seen multiple times in North Texas for the last 20 Yrs. Not a lot of them but a mother and her kitten/cub came through by our house one evening about dusk. We live in a rural area 30 miles southwest of Paris,Texas. My ex-husband saw one in the wee hours of his night security shift about 70 miles west of this area in a small town of Southmayd. So they have been here for a while a lot of people did not know what they were. I found the answer in an Audubon book on north American Mammals. Just a few days ago I had a small Russet colored Manx(for want of another description) run across in front of me and jumped a culvert which had to be a good 6ft across. It was a beautiful young cat but was out in the middle of nowhere, no houses for miles.

    Reply

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