The Jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi) in Sonora, Northwestern Mexico

Abstract

Regionally called “onza” in Sonora, Herpailurus yagouaroundi, is listed as threatened under Mexican law NOM-059-COL-2010. Until now, there were no verified records of their occurrence in Sonora. Records were obtained opportunistically while monitoring other species or by direct observation of these felines while crossing highways in Sonora. Six jaguarundi records were confirmed in different areas of Sonora; some were found along vegetation of subdeciduous tropical forests with some columnar cacti and xeric scrub; others with a combination of subdeciduous tropical forest with oak forests in higher elevations. A skull and postcranial vertebrae were found, photographed, and identified (due to a lack of permits, the specimen was not collected). Also, a live individual was captured and videotaped on a ranch. These two records were obtained in the Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna Sierra de Álamos y Río Cuchujaqui, in Álamos, Sonora. Although strong efforts to obtain fauna records with camera traps in several areas of Sonora have been made in the past ten years, they have been unsuccessful in obtaining records of jaguarundi. However, jaguarundis have been confirmed in subdeciduous tropical forests across several vegetation communities.