CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICAN JAGUARS

The jaguar is the Western Hemisphere's most powerful and largest wildcat, even larger than the leopard. The jaguar is a magnificent animal with a multiple colored coat although typically, this animal has a brown/yellow coat with black spots although a few are white. The adult male can reach between four and seven feet in length, not counting the tail, which can measure an additional 17 to 30 inches and approximately three feet tall. A full-grown jaguar can easily weigh as much as 300 pounds, making it a fierce competitor.

With a body consisting of heavy muscled shoulders and forearms, the jaguar is capable of finding and capturing prey. The head is huge, the legs thick and long, and the hind legs are flexible and strong for climbing. Each of the front paws has long claws that retract, which is also used for climbing and holding onto prey. The tongue is similar to that of a standard housecat, so rough it can actually peel skin off the prey's flesh and meat from the bones. Interestingly, while the jaguar is strong and built for endurance, it also has a soft, loose underbelly that when kicked by other animals, does little, if any injury.

Jaguars are found in the United States to include Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas, along with Asia and Africa. However, jaguars are also common in both Central and South America, particularly in the rainforests. One of the most spectacular of all jaguars is the black species that can be found in South America. This particular animal likes to live in lowlands, tropical rainforests, or swampy areas. On occasion, you will also find jaguars in grasslands and forests, generally around lakes, rivers, marshland, in caves, or under rocky ledges, and sometimes, in shrubbery. However, wherever jaguars live, they prefer the ground to be soft, often using things like leaves to rest on.

While some cats such as lions live in families or packs, jaguars tend to be loners. In fact, they become exceptionally protective over their territory, not wanting any other animal to come near their den. The behavior of the jaguar is fierce, in fact being the fiercest of all cats. As outstanding hunters and swimmers, this cat will find food both on land and in the water. When on land, they will often stay hidden in the shadows, watching and stalking prey. As other animals stop by the water's edge to drink, the jaguar will quickly pounce and devour.

In all, about 80 different animals are the jaguar's prey. For example, they often feed off cattle, making them a threat to ranchers, as well as rodents, sheep, birds, deer, turtles, tapir, fish, armadillos, wild pig, iguana, capybaras, and even crocodiles. Jaguars are even known to hide tall in rainforest trees where they prey on monkeys. Even with such a great appetite and variety of food supply, it is rare for a jaguar to attack a human. While there have been some reported instances, again, this is very uncommon.

When jaguars live in the rainforest, they will generally mate any time of year whereas when in other regions, they mate only late in the year. During the mating and pregnancy season, the male and female will cohabitate. The female will remain pregnant 95 to 110 days at which time she will have a litter of one to four cubs. Weighing just two pounds or so, the cubs will not reach maturity until age three for females and age four for males. Regardless, both the male and female jaguar lives about 20 years.

While the babies are growing up, the male jaguar will remain with the female, teaching them to hunt, defend themselves, find shelter, and all the necessary life lessons. The mother's role is to feed the cubs and to help them hunt during the first two years of life. Sadly, jaguars are hunted in Central and South America for a number of reasons. Sometimes, they are hunted to protect cattle, sometimes for sport, and sometimes for the beautiful hide, which has great demands. While poaching of these fine animals continues today, it is not as bad as it once was. When in Central or South America, perhaps you will be fortunate to see one of these amazing and beautiful animals up close.