Mexico has a spread of various wild cats that inhabit totally different areas of North America. The cloud forest in Jalisco—which is present in Mexico—is house to 6 totally different species of untamed cats.
These embrace the widespread mountain lions (Puma) and the Jaguar, together with lesser-known species just like the Ocelot, Margay, and Jaguarundi. These cats have been discovered all through Mexico’s rainforests, savannas, and deserts.
Though a lot of the wild cat inhabitants is quickly declining, it is possible for you to to search out these six wild cats in Mexico:
The 6 Most Widespread Wild Cats in Mexico
1. Bobcat
| Top: | 16–24 inches |
| Setting: | Swamps, rainforests, scrubland, and deserts |
| Conservation Standing: | Secure |
The Bobcat is a shy and secretive wild cat that may be discovered from south to northern Mexico the place they inhabit a wide range of totally different environments akin to deserts, forests, swamps, and deserts.
The Bobcat’s capacity to adapt to totally different environments has allowed their inhabitants to slowly enhance. This can be a small wild cat that doesn’t develop a lot bigger than 21 inches and weighs between 19 to 30 kilos. They’re quite common all through Mexico and their look is well acknowledged with their quick tail, thick gray to reddish-brown coat, and faint stripes. The Bobcat has lengthy fur on the edges of their face and furry ears that appear massive on their feline physique.
2. Jaguar
| Top: | 27–36 inches |
| Setting: | Rainforests, grasslands, scrubland, and swamps |
| Conservation Standing: | Threatened |
Jaguars are massive wild cats from Mexico that may also be discovered all through america and Central America. These large cats are sometimes confused with the leopard—which is present in Asia and Africa—due to their white and tan coats with massive black dots. Jaguars inhabit mangrove swamps, rainforests, and grasslands the place they’re opportunistic hunters and might swim and climb higher than different wild cats.
Sadly, Jaguars are listed as weak and threatened on the IUCN pink checklist on account of human battle and the Jaguar inhabitants is declining. The Jaguar can weigh as much as 304 kilos, making them an enormous and stocky wild cat, nonetheless, this doesn’t cease them from being agile ambush predators.
3. Puma
| Top: | 24–34 inches |
| Setting: | Swamps, semi-deserts, grasslands, and forests |
| Conservation Standing: | Low concern |
The Puma is a big wild cat that inhabits totally different forests, deserts, grasslands, swamps, and forests of varied elevations. These cats are additionally known as mountain lions and are generally present in Mexico.
They’ve a reddish-brown coloration that may typically seem yellow, with a dense coat that doesn’t have any markings apart from black traces on their faces. The Puma is well-adapted to stay in a wide range of totally different situations, nonetheless, they’re weak on account of habitat loss and human intervention, though they’re labeled as a “least concern” in line with the IUCN.
4. Ocelot
| Top: | 28–35 inches |
| Setting: | Forests, swamps, and savannas |
| Conservation Standing: | Low concern |
Ocelots are medium-sized wild cats that inhabits cloud forest and mangrove swamps in Mexico, southern Texas, and Brazil. The Ocelot has a noticed and lined coat with white and yellowish-brown coloration and hunts animals on the bottom of their territory. These wild cats can simply adapt to a wide range of totally different habitats which can be each moist and dry.
Ocelots are listed as a “least concern” on the IUCN checklist, however their numbers are declining due to human exploitation. The Ocelot is usually confused with the Margay, which is one other common wild cat present in Mexico, nonetheless, the Ocelot has a bigger physique with a brief tail.
5. Margay
| Top: | 13–20 inches |
| Setting: | Forests |
| Conservation Standing: | Close to threatened |
The Margay is a small wild cat that has the same look to the Ocelot, nonetheless, they’re barely bigger. They’ve brown and tan-colored fur with black or darkish brown splotches and dots that mark their fur, with a white underside.
The Margay has distinctively massive eyes and quick ears, with lengthy legs constructed for climbing and agility. The Margay inhabits tropical lowland forests starting from Mexico to Paraguay and so they have a near-threatened conservation standing in line with the IUCN checklist.
6. Jaguarundi
| Top: | 14 inches |
| Setting: | Forests, scrubland, savannas, and mangroves |
| Conservation Standing: | Low concern |
The Jaguarundi is a small wild cat that’s native to America however could be present in south and northern Mexico. They’re secretive wild cats that stay alone or in bonded pairs. The Jaguarundi has a plain coat that has both a pink or gray coloration with no distinctive sample.
They inhabit thorn scrubs, forests, savannas, and mangroves the place they’ll stay in areas which can be open or have vegetation for protection and safety from predators. They like to inhabit lowlands, nonetheless, they’ve been discovered above sea stage in Colombia. The Jaguarundi is listed as a “least concern” on the IUCN, however their numbers are declining on account of human exploitation.
Conclusion
The various habitats in Mexico make a terrific place for a lot of standard wild cat species to flourish. Though most of the wild cat populations we have now talked about within the checklist are declining on account of habitat loss and human exploitation, most solely have a “least concern” conservation standing. These wild cats are fascinating and have distinctive searching skills, with most being secretive with a camouflage coat that permits them to mix into the encircling atmosphere.
Featured Picture Credit score: Priscilla Du Preez, Unsplash