The jaguar The jaguar

The jaguar

















In appearance the Jaguar is often confused
with the Leopard - both cats, depending to a degree on sub-species have a similar
brownish/yellow base fur colour which is distinctively marked with dark rosette markings.
However, the jaguar can be distinguished by the presence of small dots or
irregular shapes within the larger rosette markings, a more stocky and muscular
body and a shorter tail. Melanistic or black jaguars (see below) are common in
certain parts of its range and are often confusingly labelled ‘Black Panthers’,
a name which is also applied to black Leopards. In this melanistic form the
cats are more difficult to separate, however the jaguars large head and stocky
forelimbs are often a good way to differentiate between the two cats.

In the wild, identification would not be an issue as
the cats inhabit different continents - the jaguar is the only member of the
panthera family to be found in the Americas and its is by far the biggest cat
on the continent. The Jaguars range, which once spanned from the southern
states of the USA down to
the tip of South America, now centres on the
north and central parts of the South American continent. The jaguar is
predominantly a forest dweller with the highest population densities centring
on the lowland rain forests of the Amazon
Basin - dry woodland and
grassland also serve as suitable terrain, although the cat is rarely found in
areas above 8000 feet.

The
overall body size and coloration of the cat often relates to its location -
jaguars found in dense forested areas of the Amazon Basin
are often only half the size of those found in more open terrain and it has
been suggested that this can be related to the more frequent occurrence of
larger prey species found in open terrain . Coloration of dense forest dwelling
jaguars is often darker than those found in grassland and scrub forest - here,
as with the darker coloration of rainforest leopards, the darker coats give
better camouflage in the low light condition on the forest floor and offers the
dark coated cat greater success in hunting and a greater chance of survival.

Unlike many other big cats, apart from man, the jaguar
has no rivals - no other predator can compete with this powerful cat. The
jaguars main periods of hunting activity are greatly dependant upon location -
in some areas which are close to human habitation it appears that the cat is
most active at night, whilst in other locations the jaguar is crepuscular and in certain
cases diurnal in its hunting
activity. The prey base of the jaguar is extensive, taking full advantage of
the diversity and dense concentration of animal species found in the rainforest
areas. In size its prey ranges from large domestic livestock such as cattle and
horses (for which it has a poor reputation with local farmers), Marsh deer,
Brocket deer, down through various species of Peccary, larger rodents such as
Capybara, Paca and Agouti, to reptiles, monkeys and fish.

In comparison with the other cats of its size the
jaguar has particularly power jaws and often kills its prey by piercing the
skull with one swift bite. In the Cockscomb Basin Reserve in Belize the
predominant prey species has been found to be Armadillo, who’s bony protective
plates offer little defence against the power of the jaguars bite. Where
possible, the cat will inhabit areas close to water - it is an expert in
catching fish and will often tackle turtles and large caiman, dragging them
from he water to hide the carcass in the dense undergrowth. Equally at home as
a climber, although not as adept as the leopard, the jaguar will hunt monkeys
in the lower branches of the large rain forest trees. In much of its range
where man lives close by, the jaguar now has to compete with the human hunter
and poacher who takes many of the same species as the big cat.



During the peak of its decline in the sixties and
seventies, around 18,000 jaguars were killed every year for there much sought
after coat. Due to environmental pressure the fashion for animal furs has
declined, but the jaguar is still hunted. Today the major threat comes from
deforestation which is drastically affecting the jaguars prey base as well as
fragmenting the cats population into more isolated pockets. It is estimated
that there are now only around 15,000 jaguars left in the wild and conservation
is centring on the establishment of protected ‘National Park’ areas which may
serve to reduce the decline of the jaguars natural habitat. In Belize, the
government, aided by the WWF, have set aside 150 square miles of rain forest in
the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Preserve, which currently provides a protected
environment for around 200 jaguars, the largest concentration of the wild cats
species in the world. The WWF are also providing aid to protect some of the
remaining rain forests areas of South America, which provide a refuge for the
majority of the remaining jaguar population.





Key
facts
subs pecies


Body Length(mm) -1200-1800
P.o.arizonensis
- Mexico

Weight (kg) - 70-120 P.o.centralis - Central America

Litter Size - 1-4 average P.o.goldmani - Mexico, Belize

Life Span
- 12-16 years P.o.hernadesi - Mexico

Status -
Near Threatened
P.o.onca - Amazon Rain forest


P.o.palustris - Southern Brazil


P.o.paraguensis - Paraguay


P.o.peruviana - Peru, Equador


P.o.veraecrusis - Texas