Jaguar

=Jaguar= The jaguar is the largest feline in the Americas but the third largest in the world, behind the lion and the tiger. Jaguars reside in the mammal category along with every other feline. It is apart of the //pantheragenus//, specifically Panthera Onca. The name jaguar stems from the word “yaguar” meaning “he who kills with one leap” in Native American. Often times it is confused with the leopard, but jaguars tend to have a larger and stronger build. They also have much larger spots, or rosettes with a single dot in the middle, as compared to the leopard which has much smaller solid spots. Most jaguars live their lives alone, unless they are attempting to mate. Jaguars also mimic behaviors similar to tigers and prefer to live in dense forests (like the amazon rainforest) or open terrain areas. The jaguar has been known to occupy regions ranging from Arizona, through Mexico and most of Central America all the way to the northern parts of Argentina. Oddly enough the jaguar is one of few felines that enjoys swimming.

The average life span of wild jaguars is between 11 and 15 years. These animals are very territorial; they mark trees with claw marks and their waste. Mother jaguars have litters of one to four cubs at a time. The females are extremely protective of their cubs, defending them from any animals that dare approach them, even the father jaguar. The cubs will spend two plus years learning to hunt with their mother before leaving. Like many animals, the males tend to be a bit larger than their female counterparts (10-20%). Weight ranges from around 100 to 250 lbs. depending on the gender. They can also grow up to 6 feet or more in length, but no little than four feet.

At the top of the food chain, the jaguar is an essential animal for population control of smaller vermin. Its unique hunting methods are quite interesting; they prefer the “stalk and ambush” method like many species of the feline family. Jaguars use many tactics when hunting prey; one method is pouncing from above in overhead trees. Other times the jaguar utilizes its incredible speed is while ground hunting, going 50 mph! The jaguar’s strong bite is directed for the prey’s head, right between the ears, which creates a fatal blow directly to the brain of the smaller animal. This bite is so powerful it actually surpasses the strength of a lion’s bite. Jaguars have been known to eat a wide variety of animals ranging from monkeys, capybara, sloths, tapirs, and even crocodiles. Because the animal hunts over 80 species of animals, it has a very diverse and sufficient diet.

By: Bobby Cortesi