Scientific Name: Panthera onca
Fun Fact: The
Aztecs both feared and admired the jaguar. One of their elite warrior units was
named for the animal, and the black jaguar was also the symbol of one of their
most important gods, the darkly powerful Texcatlipoca.
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order:
Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Panthera
Species: P.
onca
Description:
Jaguars are stocky and muscular cats with heavyset features. Their fur is
golden-brown and may contain hints of red. Their bodies are covered in black
rings and spots. The all-black variety associated Texcatlipoca is quite common
and is known as melanism—somewhat of an opposite to albinism. Jaguars may grow
to around six feet in length with an additional thirty inches of tail and weigh
264 pounds. They are similar in appearance to their Old World
cousins the leopards, but they are found exclusively in the Americas
Environment:
Jaguars are native to South and Central America and are
the largest of the New World cats. Their preferred
habitat varies from forest to semi-desert but must include a nearby area of
water for drinking and swimming. Poaching and habitat destruction have
restricted the range of these animals.
Reproduction
& Development: Jaguars reproduce sexually and females give birth to litters
of 1-4 live cubs after a gestation of 93-105 days. The mother cares for her
litter by herself; the cubs are weaned by about six months of age and become
sexually mature at two to four years. Jaguars can live for up to 24 years.
Nutrition:
Jaguars are carnivorous predators at the top of the food chain. Despite their
skill at swimming, they mainly hunt on land. Their preferred prey includes
various medium-sized herbivorous mammals such as peccaries, capybaras, and tapirs.
Jaguars do make exceptions to the rule of terrestrial meat; they may catch fish
and have even been known to kill and eat crocodiles.
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