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Jaguar
| Order: | Carnivora |
|---|---|
| Family: | Felidae |
| Genus, Species, Subspecies: | Panthera Onca |
| Range: | Southern Texas(U.S.) to Argentina |
Appearance
The Jaguar, like most cats, have body markings that make hunting easier for the cat. Their pattern of blotches and spots breaks up the yellow coloration of their pelt.
The jaguar is considered the third largest of the large cats, even though they are half the size of the bengal tiger. The average length of a jaguar is approximately 4 feet long. Males are slightly bulkier than the females, weighing around 250 lbs. compared to the females at 200 lbs.
Jaguars are also seen in an all black form. These animals are often called panthers, although they truly are jaguars. They are a mutation melanisim, the opposite of albinism. In an albino animal, the skin and/or fur lack all pigment whatsoever due to the lack of the protein melanin. Instead, in melanism, the exact opposite occurs and the animal has so much pigment that it appears to be all black. However, the spots are still viewable in the right light. There seems to be no advantage nor disadvantage to this coloration.
Lifestyle
Jaguars generally live solitary lives without a true "territory". They more or less wander around in search of food at their own free will. Because jaguars wander around in search of food, they have been evolving to meet all sorts of climates. From the dense rainforests of Argentina, the swamplands of Costa Rica, the dry deserts of Mexico, to the mountainy regions of southern Texas, jaguars can exist in almost any climate. Like the tiger, the jaguar loves the water. They will even persue prey into the water, and will even swim after caiman in the water and eat them. Jaguars are also seen on the sides of water trying to hunt fish. Jaguars reach sexual maturity around the age of 3. When the reach this point, mating can occur. Jaguars have no apparent mating season and mating occurs throughout the year. Barring any extreme circumstances, this is one of the only times that jaguars can be seen with each other. The females call out to the males with their loud roars and the male responds. After the pair meet up, mating occurs. After a gesation period of around 100 days, the female seeks out a good nesting location, and the cubs are born. There are usually around 2-3 blind cubs born. They preside in the den for a few months surviving a mixture of meat and mother's milk. After three months, the cubs are eating exclusively meat. The mother and the cubs maintain contact until they reach sexual maturity, and after which, they may never see each other again.
Lions are known to be especially lazy. Like most cats, they are nocturnal and sleep most of the day, in fact around 21 hours a day! Most of their hunting occurs late in the day as the sun is preparing to set. Lions have an advantage at this time, because they have a relfective lens in the eye that will reflect light back into the eye so they can see well in the dark.
Food
Jaguars are the top predator in the Americas in the regions in which they live. although there are exceptions to every rule, for the most part, no other animal preys on adult jaguars. However jaguars will prey on almost anything. They will hunt down capybaras on land, caimon in the water, and beetles when possible. Like all cats, they also eat small amounts of grass to help them stay at their optimum health. If it is alive, chances are a jaguar will eat it.Status in the wild:
Jaguars are endangered in the wild. Currently there are around 10,000 jaguars left in the wild. The major cuase of their struggles is the dofestation of their lands and people killing them out of fear. Although their numbers have decreased, their range has not decreased much; there are less jaguars in a given area of land now.