The wild cats of Central America include the jaguar and cougar/puma (big cats), and four smaller wild cats – the jaguarundi, margay, ocelot and oncilla. They can be found throughout the region’s seven countries: Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Belize.
More About Central America
Central America is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean (southwest), the Caribbean Sea (northeast), and the Gulf of Mexico (north). It has many mountain ranges, including the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, the Cordillera Isabelia, and the Cordillera de Talamanca. Between the mountains are incredibly fertile valleys.
The area has abundant species and ecosystems and is considered a “hot spot” because of the numerous threats to its biodiversity.
Central America Big Cats
Jaguar
Panthera onca
A native to Central and South America. It is the largest cat species in the Americas. They resemble leopards, with cream to yellow/orange fur and spots called rosettes. Some jaguars are all black—Jaguars primarily Inhabit rainforests, with a preference for swampy and wooded areas.
Cougar
Puma concolor
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Also called the puma, mountain lion, Florida panther, red tiger and catamount. Over 30 subspecies of cougar have been documented. Two subspecies have been recognized. Cougars are lean and agile wild cats. Male cougars are around 7 feet long and vary in weight from around 120 to over 200 lbs. depending on their location.
Cougars can be found throughout North, Central and South America. They are a mostly solitary wild cat.
Cougar subspecies:
- North and central American cougar (P. concolor couguar)
- South American cougar (P. concolor concolor)
Small Wild Cats in Central America
Jaguarundi (Felis yagouaroundi) – also called the little otter cat. Extremely shy. They are sometimes seen hunting in pairs and communicating with each other using a whistling sound. It lives in lowland areas but can also be found in swamps and forests. Read more about the jaguarundi…
Margay (Leopardus wiedii) mainly inhabits forests. It looks similar to an ocelot and spends most of its life in trees. Read more about the margay.
Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) – also known as the “painted leopard” due to its markings (stripes, spots and rosettes). Conservation status – Least Concern. Read more about the ocelot…
Oncilla – northern tiger cat (Leopardus tigrinus) – Looks like an ocelot and margay, but not as large. The cat’s yellow/brown fur is covered in rosettes. Read more about the oncilla…
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