The Cryptid Zoo: Mexican Ruffed Cat

Locals from the Sierra Mountains in the Mexican state of Nayarit have reported that their region has a native medium-sized wild feline that does not look like the cougar, the jaguar, or the jaguarundi. This cat is called the Mexican ruffed cat in the field of cryptozoology, or sometimes just the ruffed cat. It is described as being about seven feet long. It has a short tail and a conspicuous mane that nearly hides the ears. It is brown in color, not tan like the cougar, and it has peculiar wavy stripes on its sides and the upper parts of its legs. It is striped in light brown and dark brown, not in black stripes over a lighter background like the tiger.

Two skins were once obtained by a cryptozoologist, but these skins were accidentally destroyed by the government of Belize before zoologists could examine them. Most of what we know about these cats is based on descriptions of these two skins. Some researchers working in the field of cryptozoology think that the Mexican ruffed cat could represent surviving populations of saber-toothed cats, and this creature is lumped together with its cousins farther south. Since the pattern of striping (dark and light brown) resembles that found on domestic tabbies, some people have suggested that the Mexican ruffed cat is merely a large house cat. However, a house cat seven feet long would be a cryptid in its own right, squarely fitting into the category of giant animals.

You can find out more about Mexican Ruffed Cats from the following sources:

Coleman, Loren. Mysterious America: The Revised Edition. New York: Paraview Press, 2001. Page 139

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Moggycat. Anomalous Felids

Newton, Michael. Encyclopedia of Cryptozoology: A Global Guide to Hidden Animals and Their Pursuers. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2005. Page 403

Shuker, Karl. The Beasts That Hide From Man: Seeking the World's Last Undiscovered Animals. New York: Paraview Press, 2003. Page 279