Panthera onca (Jaguar)
Adult Jaguar
Description: The largest cat of the Americas, it is large and lithe with large paws and smallish round ears. The head is massive and they bare strong canines. The body is robust and the shortish legs are powerfully built.
Coat: basically yellowish-brown, but varying from almost white to black, with a pale chest and irregularly placed black spots on the belly and the back is marked by black rosettes that sometimes form complet shapes with a darker version of the base coat colour within. The lowest part of the tail is ringed with black and their is a black mark on the lower jaw near the mouth. The outter surface of the ear is black with paler tips. The undersides and mouth are white or whitish and the skin is black, whiskers white and eyes pale green.
Size: Head-body length 112-185cm, tail length 45-75cm, shoulder height 68-76cm.
Weight: 57-114kg. Females on average are 20% smaller than males.
Adult Jaguar
Senses: Jaguars are excellent swimmers.
Habitat: Tropical forest, swamps and open country including desert and savanna. Typically they prefer dense forests or swamps with good cover.
Range: Territories can vary from 25-150sq km (10-60sq mi), depending on the prey abundence and diversity.
They like to make their homes close to rivers or other bodies of water.
Distribution: SW USA to C Patagonia.
Status: Due to habitat destruction and humans hunting jaguars for their coats, the species has become drastically reduced in the wild.
Daily Rhythm:
Voice: They raor but only occasionally, thye are more often heard grunting or coughing when hunting and snarling and growling when threatened. Males also make a mewing cry during the mating season.
Enemies:
Prey: Usually large prey such as peccary, tapir and deer are hunted, they take 85 species in all including monkeys, birds, frogs, tortoises, caimans, fish, small rodents and turtles. They will also sometimes take domestic livestock.
Food and Feeding: Prey is normally stalked on the ground and they are also excellent swimmers and will persue their prey into the water readily. They also chase their quarry along low branches.
Grouping: They are solitary and only come togehter to breed.
Breeding: Jaguars are usually solitary animals and come together only to mate. Breeding takes place in spring in the north and and anytime of year in the tropics.
Gestation: About 95 days.
Litter Size: 1-4 young are born in each litter.
Young Description: Each cub weighs 700-900g and is blind at birth, they open their eyes at about 2 weeks.
Nest:
Young Care: The female raises her young alone and they remain with her for up to 2 years. They are weaned after about 3-4 months.
Sexual Maturity: About 2-3 years for females and 3-4 years for males.
Longevity:
Geographical Variations:
Panthera onca goldmani (Yucatan Jaguar)
Distribution: South West Yucatan, Mexico, North Guatemala)
Panthera onca centralis (Panama Jaguar)
Distribution: Central America, Colombia.
Panthera onca peruviana (Peruvian Jaguar)
Distribution: Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia.
Panthera onca onca (Amazon Jaguar)
Distribution: Forests of Orinoco and Amazon Basin.
Panthera onca palustris (Parana Jaguar)
Distribution: South Brazil, Argentina.
Panthera onca arizonensis (Arizona Jaguar)
Distribution: USA to North West Mexico.
Panthera onca veracrucensis
Distribution: Mexico.
Status: Very rare.
Panthera onca harnandes
Distribution: Mexico.
Status: Very rare.
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