Research overview: jaguarundi morphology and color morphs

The jaguarundi has an unusual appearance for a cat, with a long, slender body, short legs, small flattened head, and long tail, giving it a weasel- or otter-like look, and this overview reviews its distinctive form and coloration. The species occurs in two main color morphs, a dark gray-to-black phase and a reddish phase, once thought to be separate species, that can appear in the same litter. Its plain, unspotted coat is unique among Neotropical cats. These features suit a terrestrial, fast-moving lifestyle in dense ground cover and open habitats. Documenting the morphology and the genetics of its color polymorphism clarifies the species evolutionary distinctiveness within the puma lineage and its ecological niche among small American cats.