Jaguars are the largest of South America's big cats. They once
roamed from the southern tip of that continent north to the region
surrounding the U.S.-Mexico border. Today significant numbers of jaguars
are found only in remote regions of South and Central
America—particularly in the Amazon Basin.
These beautiful and
powerful beasts were prominent in ancient Native American cultures. In
some traditions the Jaguar God of the Night was the formidable lord of
the underworld. The name jaguar is derived from the Native American word
yaguar, which means "he who kills with one leap."
Unlike
many other cats, jaguars do not avoid water; in fact, they are quite
good swimmers. Rivers provide prey in the form of fish, turtles, or
caimans—small, alligatorlike animals. Jaguars also eat larger animals
such as deer, peccaries, capybaras, and tapirs. They sometimes climb
trees to prepare an ambush, killing their prey with one powerful bite.
Most
jaguars are tan or orange with distinctive black spots, dubbed
"rosettes" because they are shaped like roses. Some jaguars are so dark
they appear to be spotless, though their markings can be seen on closer
inspection.
Jaguars live alone and define territories of many square miles by marking with their waste or clawing trees.
Females
have litters of one to four cubs, which are blind and helpless at
birth. The mother stays with them and defends them fiercely from any
animal that may approach—even their own father. Young jaguars learn to
hunt by living with their mothers for two years or more.
Jaguars are still hunted for their attractive fur. Ranchers also kill them because the cats sometimes prey upon their livestock.
Fast Facts Map
|
Jaguar range |
- Type:
- Mammal
- Diet:
- Carnivore
- Average life span in the wild:
- 12 to 15 years
- Size:
- Head and body, 5 to 6 ft
- (1.5 to 1.8 m); tail, 27.5 to 36 in
- (70 to 91 cm)
- Weight:
- 100 to 250 lbs (45 to 113 kg)
- Protection status:
- Near Threatened
- Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man:
-