Do caracals have predators?

In other words, are their predators which kill the caracal, itself a highly efficient predator and the answer is yes. The caracal lives mainly on the African continent but not across the entire continent. Their distribution is sympatric (shared) with lions, hyenas and leopards, all three of which are larger than the medium-sized caracal weighing between 8kg-20kg. 

Hyena can prey on the caracal. Image: MikeB based on images in the public domain as assessed.

I will quote Mel and Fiona Sunquist (Wild Cats of the World): "Caracals sometimes share some of their habitats with, and occasionally fall prey to, larger predators such as lions, leopards and hyenas".

One biologist/researcher, Pienaar, recorded an occasion when the head of a caracal was seen near the Tsende picket in the Kruger National Park.

The spirited caracal had fought with seven lions over the carcass of a water buffalo.

It is said that jackals and caracals are old enemies. They will fight one another and kill each other's offspring.

Jackals can outcompete caracals for food apparently and they share many habitats with jackals. At one stage there was a large-scale jackal eradication program in South Africa and during this time caracal numbers increased as did the number of prey animals.

There is no polite agreement between wild cat species that they will leave each other alone. I am afraid nature is not like that. Smaller wild cats can be attacked and eaten by larger cat species.

Although this does not happen regularly.

How does the jaguarundi reproduce?

The question is a little outlandish because clearly jaguarundi reproduce like any other cat or indeed human as they are mammals; they mate and become pregnant and then give birth. I won't bother to repeat the whole process but I will discuss briefly the reproduction and development of jaguarundi. 

Photo by jindrich_photographe on 500px. This is a quite a mean looking cat.

It has been suggested (i.e. as at 2002 the scientists were uncertain) that jaguarundis have no breeding season in the tropics, Texas or Mexico but they might have two breeding seasons annually in Mexico or a single breeding season in the fall in the northern part of their range according to my book on the wild cat species namely Wild Cats of the World.

In captivity there have been births in January, June and August through to October. Observations of captive jaguarundi indicate that the period of heat i.e. oestrus is short at about three or five days and that the oestrus cycle lasts for about 53 days.

During sexual receptivity the female engages in more scent markings and rolling on her back. She might also vocalise faintly while depositing urine marks around the enclosure if in captivity. The male shows a great deal of attention to a female in oestrus. He follows closely and tolerates a great deal of aggression from her.

Typically, as is the case with domestic cats, mating is accompanied by a loud scream when the male starts copulation (intromission) and the male grips the female's neck in his jaws during mating which we see with domestic and feral cats. And indeed, with the big cats such as lions and tigers.

Gestation is from 70 to 75 days. The female gives birth to 1 to 4 young. In captivity the average size of 12 litters was 1.83 kittens. In another study of three litters, the average number of kittens was 2.33.