Jaguar[1]
A jaguar at the Milwaukee County Zoological Gardens
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)[2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae Genus: Panthera Species: P. The Milwaukee County Zoo is a Zoo in the Milwaukee Wisconsin area The conservation status of a Species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future Near Threatened ( NT) is a Conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa which may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future although The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands The diverse order Carnivora (kɑrˈnɪvərə or sometimes /ˌkɑrnɪˈvɔərə/ from Latin carō (stem carn-) "flesh" + vorāre Felidae is the biological family of the cats a member of this family is called a felid. Panthera is a Genus of the family Felidae (the cats which contains four well-known living Species: the Tiger, the onca
Binomial name
Panthera onca Linnaeus, 1758
Jaguar range

The jaguar (Panthera onca, pronounced /ˡdʒægjuɚ/ in British English, or /ˡdʒægwɑr/ in American English) is a New World mammal of the Felidae family and one of four "big cats" in the Panthera genus, along with the tiger, lion, and leopard of the Old World. Carl Linnaeus (Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as, May 23 new style (13 May old style 1707 who laid the foundations for British English or UK English ( BrE, BE, en-GB) is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the Phonology North American English regional phonology In many ways compared to English English, North American English is conservative in its Phonology. The New World is one of the names used for the non-Eurasian/non-African parts of the Earth specifically the Americas and Australia. Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands Felidae is the biological family of the cats a member of this family is called a felid. The term big cat is used to distinguish the larger cat species from smaller ones Panthera is a Genus of the family Felidae (the cats which contains four well-known living Species: the Tiger, the A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic The tiger ( Panthera tigris) is a member of the Felidae family the largest and the most powerful of the four " Big cats quot in the Genus The lion ( Panthera leo) is a member of the family Felidae and one of four Big cats in the Genus Panthera. The leopard (lɛpɚd Panthera pardus) is an Old World Mammal of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four roaring The Old World consists of those parts of Earth known to Europeans Asians and Africans in the 15th century The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and on average the largest and most powerful feline in the Western Hemisphere. The Western Hemisphere, also Western hemisphere or western hemisphere, is a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies West The jaguar's present range extends from Mexico (with occasional sightings in the southwestern United States) across much of Central America and south to Paraguay and northern Argentina. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics.

This spotted cat most closely resembles the leopard physically, although it is usually larger and of sturdier build and its behavioural and habitat characteristics are closer to those of the tiger. A habitat (which is Latin for "it inhabits" is an Ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular Species. While dense rainforest is its preferred habitat, the jaguar will range across a variety of forested and open terrain. Rainforests are Forests characterized by high Rainfall with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 1750–2000 mm (68-78 inches It is strongly associated with the presence of water and is notable, along with the tiger, as a feline that enjoys swimming. The jaguar is a largely solitary, stalk-and-ambush predator, and is opportunistic in prey selection. It is also an apex and keystone predator, playing an important role in stabilizing ecosystems and regulating the populations of prey species. A keystone species is a Species that has a disproportionate effect on its environment relative to its abundance The jaguar has developed an exceptionally powerful bite, even relative to the other big cats. ^[3] This allows it to pierce the shells of armoured reptiles and to employ an unusual killing method: it bites directly through the skull of prey between the ears to deliver a fatal blow to the brain. The brain is the center of the Nervous system in animals All Vertebrates and the majority of Invertebrates have a brain ^[4]

The jaguar is a near threatened species and its numbers are declining. Near Threatened ( NT) is a Conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa which may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future although Threats include habitat loss and fragmentation. While international trade in jaguars or their parts is prohibited, the cat is still regularly killed by humans, particularly in conflicts with ranchers and farmers in South America. Although reduced, its range remains large; given its historical distribution, the jaguar has featured prominently in the mythology of numerous indigenous American cultures, including that of the Maya and Aztec. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. The Maya civilization is a Mesoamerican Civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the Pre-Columbian Americas Aztec is a term used to refer to certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who achieved political

Etymology

The etymology of the word jaguar is unclear. Some sources suggest a borrowing from the South American Tupi language to English via Portuguese,^[5] while others attribute the term to the related Guaraní languages. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. Guaraní /gwaraˈni/ (local name avañe'ẽ) is an indigenous language of South America that belongs to the Tupí-Guaraní subfamily of the In the Tupi language, the original and complete indigenous name for the species is jaguara, which has been reported as a denotation for any carnivorous animal^[5][6]—in the compound form jaguareté, -eté means "true". ^[6] In the related Guaraní languages, yaguareté has been variously translated as "the real fierce beast",^[7] "dog-bodied",^[8] or "fierce dog". ^[9] Early etymological reports were that jaguara means "a beast that kills its prey with one bound", and this claim persists in a number of sources. However, this has been challenged as incorrect. ^[6] In many Central and South American countries, the cat is referred to as el tigre ("the tiger").

The first component of its own scientific designation, Panthera onca, is often presumed to derive from Greek pan- ("all") and ther ("beast"), but this may be a folk etymology. Folk etymology is a term used in two distinct ways A commonly held misunderstanding of the origin of a particular word a False etymology. Although it came into English through the classical languages, panthera is possibly of Sanskrit origin, from pundarikam, the Sanskrit word for "tiger". ^[10]

Onca is said to denote "barb" or "hook", a reference to the animal's powerful claws, but the most correct etymology is simply that it is an adaptation of the current Portuguese name for the animal, onça (on-sa), with the cedilla dropped for typographical reasons.

Taxonomy

The jaguar, Panthera onca, is the only extant New World member of the Panthera genus. DNA evidence shows that the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, snow leopard, and clouded leopard share a common ancestor and that this group is between six and ten million years old;^[11] the fossil record points to the emergence of Panthera just two to 3. The snow leopard ( Uncia uncia) sometimes known as the ounce, is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia from Afghanistan Northern The Clouded Leopard ( Neofelis nebulosa) is a medium-sized cat, 55 to 110 cm (2 ft to 3 ft 6 in long and weighing between 15 and 23 kg (33 to 50 lb 8 million years ago. ^[11][12] Phylogenetic studies generally have shown that the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is basal to this group. In Phylogenetics, a basal Clade is the earliest clade to branch in a larger clade it appears at the base of a cladogram ^{[11][13][14][15]} The position of the remaining species varies between studies and is effectively unresolved. Many studies place the snow leopard within the genus Panthera^[11][13][15] but there is no consensus whether the scientific name of the snow leopard should remain Uncia uncia^[2][16] or be moved to Panthera uncia. ^{[11][13][14][15]}

Based on morphological evidence, British zoologist Reginald Pocock concluded that the jaguar is most closely related to the leopard. Zoology (from Greek ζῷον, zoon, "animal" + λόγος, " Logos " "knowledge" is the branch of Reginald Innes Pocock FRS ( March 4, 1863 - August 9, 1947) was a British Zoologist. ^[15] However, DNA evidence is inconclusive and the position of the jaguar relative to the other species varies between studies. ^{[11][13][14][15]} Fossils of extinct Panthera species, such as the European jaguar (Panthera gombaszoegensis) and the American lion (Panthera atrox), show characteristics of both the lion and the jaguar. The European jaguar ( Panthera (onca gombaszoegensis) lived about 1 The American lion (Panthera leo atrox also known as the North American lion, American Cave lion,or Panthera is an Extinct ^[15] Analysis of jaguar mitochondrial DNA has dated the species lineage to between 280,000 and 510,000 years ago, later than suggested by fossil records. Mitochondrial DNA ( mtDNA) is the DNA located in Organelles called mitochondria. ^[17]

Geographical variation

While numerous subspecies of the jaguar have been recognized, recent research suggests just three. Geographical barriers, such as the Amazon river, limit gene flow within the species. The Amazon River (Rio Amazonas Río Amazonas of South America is the largest river in the world by volume with a total river flow greater than the next top ten largest rivers

The last taxonomic delineation of the jaguar subspecies was performed by Pocock in 1939. Based on geographic origins and skull morphology, he recognized eight subspecies. The term morphology in Biology refers to the outward appearance ( Shape, Structure, Colour, Pattern) of an Organism However, he did not have access to sufficient specimens to critically evaluate all subspecies, and he expressed doubt about the status of several. Later consideration of his work suggested only three subspecies should be recognized. ^[18]

Recent studies have also failed to find evidence for well defined subspecies, and are no longer recognized. ^[19] Larson (1997) studied the morphological variation in the jaguar and showed that there is clinal north–south variation, but also that the differentiation within the supposed subspecies is larger than that between them and thus does not warrant subspecies subdivision. ^[20] A genetic study by Eizirik and coworkers in 2001 confirmed the absence of a clear geographical subspecies structure, although they found that major geographical barriers such as the Amazon River limited the exchange of genes between the different populations. The Amazon River (Rio Amazonas Río Amazonas of South America is the largest river in the world by volume with a total river flow greater than the next top ten largest rivers ^[17] A subsequent, more detailed, study confirmed the predicted population structure within the Colombian jaguars. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. ^[21]

Pocock's subspecies divisions are still regularly listed in general descriptions of the cat. ^[22] Seymore grouped these in three subspecies. ^[18]

1. Panthera onca onca: Venezuela, south and east to Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, including
   • P. onca peruviana: Coastal Peru – Peruvian Jaguar
2. P. onca hernandesii: Western Mexico, including – Mexican Jaguar
   • P. onca centralis: Central America—El Salvador to Colombia – Central American Jaguar
   • P. onca arizonensis: Eastern Arizona to Sonora, Mexico – Arizonan Jaguar
   • P. onca veraecrucis: Southeastern Mexico to central Texas
   • P. onca goldmani: Yucatan Peninsula to Guatemala and Belize – Goldman's Jaguar
3. P. onca palustris or P. onca paraguensis: Paraguay and northeastern Argentina (The description of the first is based on a fossil, the latter on living individuals)^[18]

The canonical Mammal Species of the World continues to recognize nine subspecies, the eight subspecies above and additionally P. o. paraguensis. ^[1]

Biology and behavior

Physical characteristics

The head of the jaguar is robust and the jaw extremely powerful. Size tends to increase from the north to the south.

The jaguar is a compact and well-muscled animal. There are significant variations in size: weights are normally in the range of 56–96 kilograms (124–211 lb). The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States #) is a unit of Mass Larger males have been recorded as weighing 159 kilograms (350 lb)^[23] (roughly matching a tigress or lioness), and smaller ones have extremely low weights of 36 kilograms (80 lb). Females are typically 10–20% smaller than males. The length of the cat varies from 1. 62–1. 83 meters (5. 3–6 ft), and its tail may add a further 75 centimeters (30 in). It stands about 67–76 centimeters (27–30 in) tall at the shoulders. ^[24]

Further variations in size have been observed across regions and habitats, with size tending to increase from the north to south. A study of the jaguar in the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve on the Mexican Pacific coast, showed ranges of just 30–50 kilograms (66–110 lb), about the size of the cougar. The Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve is a Nature reserve on the Pacific coast of the Mexican state of Jalisco. The cougar ( Puma concolor) also puma, mountain lion, or panther, depending on region is a Mammal of the Felidae family ^[25] By contrast, a study of the Jaguar in the Brazilian Pantanal region found average weights of 100 kilograms (220 lb). |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld The Pantanal is a tropical Wetland in South America, mostly within the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, ^[26] Forest jaguars are frequently darker and considerably smaller than those found in open areas (the Pantanal is an open wetland basin), possibly due to the fewer large herbivorous prey in forest areas. ^[27]

A short and stocky limb structure makes the jaguar adept at climbing, crawling and swimming. ^[24] The head is robust and the jaw extremely powerful. It has been suggested that the jaguar has the strongest bite of all felids, and the second strongest of all mammals; this strength is an adaptation that allows the jaguar to pierce turtle shells. ^[4] A comparative study of bite force adjusted for body size ranked it as the top felid, alongside the clouded leopard and ahead of the lion and tiger. ^[28] It has been reported that "an individual jaguar can drag a 360 kg (800 lb) bull 8 m (25 ft) in its jaws and pulverize the heaviest bones". ^[29] The jaguar hunts wild animals weighing up to 300 kilograms (660 lb) in dense jungle, and its short and sturdy physique is thus an adaptation to its prey and environment.

A melanistic jaguar at the Henry Doorly Zoo. The Henry Doorly Zoo, located at 3701 South 10th Street is a Zoo in Omaha Nebraska. Melanism is result of a dominant allele and remains relatively rare in jaguars. An allele (ˈæliːl (UK /əˈliːl/ (US (from the Greek αλληλος allelos, meaning each other) is one member of a pair or series of different forms

The base coat of the jaguar is generally a tawny yellow, but can range to reddish-brown and black. The cat is covered in rosettes for camouflage in its jungle habitat. A rosette is a Rose -like marking or formation which is found in clusters and patches on the Fur of Leopards, Jaguars and other The spots vary over individual coats and between individual Jaguars: rosettes may include one or several dots, and the shape of the dots varies. The spots on the head and neck are generally solid, as are those on the tail, where they may merge to form a band. The underbelly, throat and outer surface of the legs and lower flanks are white. ^[24]

A condition known as melanism occurs in the species. Melanism μέλας is an increased amount of black or nearly black Pigmentation (as of Skin, Feathers or Hair) of an organism resulting from The melanistic form is less common than the spotted form (it occurs at about six percent of the population)^[30] of jaguars in their South American range have been reported to possess it—and is the result of a dominant allele. An allele (ˈæliːl (UK /əˈliːl/ (US (from the Greek αλληλος allelos, meaning each other) is one member of a pair or series of different forms ^[31] Jaguars with melanism appear entirely black, although their spots are still visible on close examination. Melanistic Jaguars are informally known as black panthers, but do not form a separate species. A black panther is a black ( melanistic) color variant of one of several Species of larger cat which are often known by the term panther. Rare albino individuals, sometimes called white panthers, occur among jaguars, as with the other big cats. Albinism (from Latin albus, "white" see extended etymology) is a form of hypopigmentary Congenital disorder, The white panther is the common name for a white specimen of several Species of Cat. ^[27]

The jaguar closely resembles the leopard, but is sturdier and heavier, and the two animals can be distinguished by their rosettes: the rosettes on a jaguar's coat are larger, fewer in number, usually darker, and have thicker lines and small spots in the middle that the leopard lacks. Jaguars also have rounder heads and shorter, stockier limbs compared to leopards. ^[32]

Reproduction and life cycle

Jaguar females reach sexual maturity at about two years of age, and males at three or four. The cat is believed to mate throughout the year in the wild, although births may increase when prey is plentiful. ^[33] Research on captive male jaguars supports the year-round mating hypothesis, with no seasonal variation in semen traits and ejaculatory quality; low reproductive success has also been observed in captivity. ^[34] Female estrous is 6–17 days out of a full 37-day cycle, and females will advertise fertility with urinary scent marks and increased vocalization. Oestrus is also the biological genus name of the gadfly. The estrous cycle (also oestrous cycle; derived from Latin ^[33] Both sexes will range more widely than usual during courtship.

Mating pairs separate after the act, and females provide all parenting. The gestation period lasts 93–105 days; females give birth to up to four cubs, and most commonly to two. The mother will not tolerate the presence of males after the birth of cubs, given a risk of infant cannibalism; this behaviour is also found in the tiger. Cannibalism (from Spanish es ''caníbal'' in connection with cannibalism among the Antillean Caribs, also called anthropophagy (from Greek ἄνθρωπος ^[35]

The young are born blind, gaining sight after two weeks. Cubs are weaned at three months but remain in the birth den for six months before leaving to accompany their mother on hunts. ^[36] They will continue in their mother's company for one to two years before leaving to establish a territory for themselves. Young males are at first nomadic, jostling with their older counterparts until they succeed in claiming a territory. Typical lifespan in the wild is estimated at around 12–15 years; in captivity, the jaguar lives up to 23 years, placing it among the longest-lived cats. ^[26]

Social Activity

Like most cats, the jaguar is solitary outside mother-cub groups. Adults generally meet only to court and mate (though limited non-courting socialization has been observed anecdotally^[35]) and carve out large territories for themselves. Female territories, from 25 to 40 square kilometers in size, may overlap, but the animals generally avoid one another. Male ranges cover roughly twice as much area, varying in size with the availability of game and space, and do not overlap. ^[35][37] Scrape marks, urine, and feces are used to mark territory. ^[38]

Like the other big cats, the jaguar is capable of roaring (the male more powerfully) and does so to warn territorial and mating competitors away; intensive bouts of counter-calling between individuals have been observed in the wild. ^[39] Their roar often resembles a repetitive cough, and they may also vocalize mews and grunts. ^[26] Mating fights between males occur, but are rare, and aggression avoidance behaviour has been observed in the wild. ^[38] When it occurs, conflict is typically over territory: a male's range may encompass that of two or three females, and he will not tolerate intrusions by other adult males. ^[35]

The jaguar is often described as nocturnal, but is more specifically crepuscular (peak activity around dawn and dusk). As an Animal behavior, nocturnality describes sleeping during the Daytime and being active at Night - the opposite of the diurnal Crepuscular is a term used to describe animals that are primarily active during Twilight, hence at Dawn and at Dusk. Both sexes hunt, but males travel farther each day than females, befitting their larger territories. The jaguar may hunt during the day if game is available and is a relatively energetic feline, spending as much as 50–60% of its time active. ^[27] The jaguar's elusive nature and the inaccessibility of much of its preferred habitat make it a difficult animal to sight, let alone study.

Hunting and diet

Like all cats, the jaguar is an obligate carnivore, feeding only on meat. A carnivore (ˈkɑrnɪvɔər meaning 'meat eater' ( Latin carne meaning 'flesh' and vorare meaning 'to devour' is any animal with a diet consisting It is an opportunistic hunter and its diet encompasses 87 species. ^[27] The jaguar prefers large prey and will take deer, tapirs, peccaries, dogs, foxes, and even anacondas and caiman. A deer is a Ruminant Mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. Tapirs (ˈteɪpɚ as in "taper" or /təˈpɪər/ as "ta-pier" are large browsing Mammals, roughly pig-like in shape with short Peccaries (also known as javelinas, by the Portuguese name javali and Spanish jabalí or pecarí) are medium-sized The dog ( Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated Subspecies of the gray wolf, a Mammal of the Canidae family of the order A fox is an Animal belonging to any one of about 27 Species (of which only 12 actually belong to the Vulpes genus or 'true foxes' of small Eunectes is a Genus of non-venomous boas found in tropical South America, commonly called anacondas. Alligators and caimans are Archosaurs Species of Crocodilians and form the family Alligatoridae (sometimes regarded instead However, the cat will eat any small species that can be caught, including frogs, mice, birds, fish, sloths, monkeys, turtles, capybara, and domestic livestock. This article is about the block cipher algorithm For the ultrafast laser pulse measurement technique see Frequency-resolved optical gating. A mouse (plural mice) is a small Animal that belongs to one Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two The living sloths comprise six Species of medium-sized Mammals that live in Central and South America belonging to the families A monkey is any member of either the New World monkeys or Old World monkeys two of the three groupings of Simian Primates the third group being Turtles are Reptiles of the Order Testudines (all living turtles belong to the Crown group Chelonia) most of Capybara ( Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) also known as capibara, chigüire in Venezuela chigüiro, carpincho ^[40]

The jaguar has developed an exceptionally powerful bite, even relative to the other big cats. It is an adaptation that allows it to pierce the shells of armoured reptiles.

While the jaguar employs the deep-throat bite-and-suffocation technique typical among Panthera, it prefers a killing method unique amongst cats: it pierces directly through the temporal bones of the skull between the ears of prey (especially the Capybara) with its canine teeth, piercing the brain. The temporal bones are situated at the sides and base of the Skull. Capybara ( Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) also known as capibara, chigüire in Venezuela chigüiro, carpincho This may be an adaptation to "cracking open" turtle shells; following the late Pleistocene extinctions, armoured reptiles such as turtles would have formed an abundant prey base for the jaguar. ^[39][27] The skull bite is employed with mammals in particular; with reptiles such as caiman, the jaguar may leap on to the back of the prey and sever the cervical vertebrae, immobilizing the target. In Vertebrates cervical vertebrae (singular vertebra) are those vertebrae immediately behind (posterior to the Skull. While capable of cracking turtle shells, the jaguar may simply reach into the shell and scoop out the flesh. ^[35] With prey such as dogs, a paw swipe to crush the skull may be sufficient.

The jaguar is a stalk-and-ambush rather than a chase predator. The cat will walk slowly down forest paths, listening for and stalking prey before rushing or ambushing. The jaguar attacks from cover and usually from a target's blind spot with a quick pounce; the species' ambushing abilities are considered nearly peerless in the animal kingdom by both indigenous people and field researchers, and are probably a product of its role as an apex predator in several different environments. The ambush may include leaping into water after prey, as a jaguar is quite capable of carrying a large kill while swimming; its strength is such that carcasses as large as a heifer can be hauled up a tree to avoid flood levels. ^[35]

On killing prey, the jaguar will drag the carcass to a thicket or other secluded spot. It begins eating at the neck and chest, rather than the midsection. The heart and lungs are consumed, followed by the shoulders. ^[35] The daily food requirement of a 34 kilogram animal, at the extreme low end of the species' weight range, has been estimated at 1. 4 kilograms. ^[41] For captive animals in the 50–60 kilogram range, more than 2 kilograms of meat daily is recommended. ^[42] In the wild, consumption is naturally more erratic; wild cats expend considerable energy in the capture and kill of prey, and may consume up to 25 kilograms of meat at one feeding, followed by periods of famine. ^[43]

Ecology

Distribution and habitat

The jaguar has been attested in the fossil record for two million years^[22] and it has been an American cat since crossing the Bering Land Bridge during the Pleistocene; the immediate ancestor of modern animals is Panthera onca augusta, which was larger than the contemporary cat. The Bering land bridge was a Land bridge roughly 1000 miles (1600 km north to south at its greatest extent which joined present-day Alaska and eastern Siberia The Pleistocene ('plaɪstəsin is the epoch from 18 million to 10000 years BP covering the world's recent period ^[21] Its present range extends from Mexico, through Central America and into South America, including much of Amazonian Brazil. ^[44] The countries included in this range are Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica (particularly on the Osa Peninsula), Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Belize (bəˈliːz formerly British Honduras, is a country in Central America. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica,) is a Country in The Osa Peninsula (Península de Osa is a Peninsula located in southwestern Costa Rica, in the Puntarenas Province, on the Pacific Ocean For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. French Guiana (Guyane française officially fr ''Guyane'' is an Overseas department (French département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest Guyana (ɡaɪˈænə or /ɡiːˈɑːnə/ officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and previously known as British Guiana, is the only Nation state Honduras in Spanish, República de Honduras) is a democratic republic in Central America. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Nicaragua (ˌnɪkəˈrɑgwə officially the Republic of Nicaragua () is a representative democratic republic and the largest nation in Central America Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Suriname ( Dutch: Suriname; Sranan Tongo: Sranan) officially the Republic of Suriname (traditionally spelled Surinam by Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the The jaguar is now extinct in El Salvador and Uruguay. Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America ^[2] It occurs in the 400 km² Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in Belize, the approximately 15,000 km² Manú National Park in Peru, the approximately 26,000 km² Xingu National Park in Brazil, and numerous other reserves throughout its range. The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is a Nature reserve in south-central Belize established to protect the Forests Fauna and watersheds Manú National Park is a Biosphere reserve located in Madre de Dios and Paucartambo Cusco. The Parque Nacional Xingu is located in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil and was created on April 14 1961, signed by President

The inclusion of the United States in the list is based on occasional sightings in the southwest, particularly in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. In the early 1900s, the jaguar's range extended as far north as Southern California and western Texas. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. ^[41] The jaguar is a protected species in the United States under the Endangered Species Act, which has stopped the shooting of the animal for its pelt. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( et seq or ESA is the most wide-ranging of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s In 2004, wildlife officials in Arizona photographed and documented jaguars in the southern part of the state. For any permanent population to thrive, protection from killing, an adequate prey base, and connectivity with Mexican populations are essential. ^[45]

The jaguar can range across a variety of forested and open habitat, but is strongly associated with presence of water.

The historic range of the species included much of the southern half of the United States, and in the south extended much farther to cover most of the South American continent. In total, its northern range has receded 1000 kilometers southward and its southern range 2000 km northward. Ice Age fossils of the jaguar, dated between 40,000 and 11,500 years ago, have been discovered in the United States, including some at an important site as far north as Missouri. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee Fossil evidence shows jaguars of up to 190 kg (420 lb), much larger than the contemporary average for the animal. ^[46]

The habitat of the cat includes the rain forests of South and Central America, open, seasonally flooded wetlands, and dry grassland terrain. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Of these habitats, the jaguar much prefers dense forest;^[27] the cat has lost range most rapidly in regions of drier habitat, such as the Argentinian pampas, the arid grasslands of Mexico, and the southwestern United States. Laguna de Gomezjpg|thumb|left|240px|Lake Gomez near Junín in the heart of the Pampas grain belt ^[2] The cat will range across tropical, subtropical, and dry deciduous forests (including, historically, oak forests in the United States). The jaguar is strongly associated with water and it often prefers to live by rivers, swamps, and in dense rainforest with thick cover for stalking prey. Jaguars have been found at elevations as high as 3800 m, but they typically avoid mountain forest and are not found in the high plateau of central Mexico or in the Andes. ^[27]

Ecological role

The adult jaguar is an apex predator, meaning that it exists at the top of its food chain and is not preyed on in the wild. The jaguar has also been termed a keystone species, as it is assumed, through controlling the population levels of prey such as herbivorous and granivorous mammals, apex felids maintain the structural integrity of forest systems. ^[25][47] However, accurately determining what effect species like the jaguar have on ecosystems is difficult, because data must be compared from regions where the species is absent as well as its current habitats, while controlling for the effects of human activity. It is accepted that mid-sized prey species see population increases in the absence of the keystone predators and it has been hypothesized that this has cascading negative effects,^[48] however, field work has shown this may be natural variability and that the population increases may not be sustained. Thus, the keystone predator hypothesis is not favoured by all scientists. ^[49]

The jaguar also has an effect on other predators. The jaguar and the cougar, the next largest feline of the Americas, are often sympatric (related species sharing overlapping territory) and have often been studied in conjunction. The cougar ( Puma concolor) also puma, mountain lion, or panther, depending on region is a Mammal of the Felidae family Sympatric speciation is the genetic divergence of various populations (from a single parent species inhabiting the same geographic region such that those populations become different Where sympatric with the jaguar, the cougar is smaller than normal and is smaller than the local jaguars. The jaguar tends to take larger prey and the cougar smaller, reducing the latter's size. ^[50] This situation may be advantageous to the cougar. Its broader prey niche, including its ability to take smaller prey, may give it an advantage over the jaguar in human-altered landscapes;^[25] while both are classified as near-threatened species, the cougar has a significantly larger current distribution. Near Threatened ( NT) is a Conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa which may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future although

Conservation status

Jaguar populations are currently declining. The animal is considered Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources,^[2] meaning it may be threatened with extinction in the near future. Near Threatened ( NT) is a Conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa which may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future although The loss of parts of its range, including its virtual elimination from its historic northern areas and the increasing fragmentation of the remaining range, have contributed to this status. The 1960s saw particularly significant declines, with more than 15,000 jaguar skins brought out of the Brazilian Amazon yearly; the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of 1973 brought about a sharp decline in the pelt trade. Amazônia Legal ("Legal Amazon" is the largest socio-geographic division of the South American nation of Brazil, which contains all of its territory CITES (the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments drafted ^[51] Detailed work performed under the auspices of the Wildlife Conservation Society reveal that the animal has lost 37% of its historic range, with its status unknown in an additional 18%. The Wildlife Conservation Society ( WCS) endeavors to save Wildlife and wild lands though careful use of science conservation around the world education More encouragingly, the probability of long-term survival was considered high in 70% of its remaining range, particularly in the Amazon basin and the adjoining Gran Chaco and Pantanal. The Gran Chaco ( Quechua chaqu, "hunting land" dubbed by some as "the last South American frontier" is a sparsely populated hot and The Pantanal is a tropical Wetland in South America, mostly within the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, ^[44]

The major risks to the jaguar include deforestation across its habitat, increasing competition for food with human beings,^[2] poaching, hurricanes in Northern parts of its range, and the behaviour of ranchers who will often kill the cat where it preys on livestock. Deforestation is the conversion of Forested areas to non-forest land for use such as Arable land, Pasture, urban use logged area or wasteland Poaching is the illegal Hunting, Fishing or Harvesting of wild plants or animals A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerous Thunderstorms that produce strong winds and Flooding When adapted to the prey, the jaguars has been shown to take cattle as a large portion of its diet; while land clearance for grazing is a problem for the species, the jaguar population may have increased when cattle were first introduced to South America as the animals took advantage of the new prey base. This willingness to take livestock has induced ranch owners to hire full-time jaguar hunters, and the cat is often shot on sight. ^[26]

The Pantanal, Brazil, seen here in flood condition, is a critical jaguar range area. The Pantanal is a tropical Wetland in South America, mostly within the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld

The jaguar is regulated as an Appendix I species under CITES: all international trade in jaguars or their parts is prohibited. All hunting of jaguars is prohibited in Argentina, Belize, Colombia, French Guiana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, the United States (where it is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act), Uruguay and Venezuela. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Belize (bəˈliːz formerly British Honduras, is a country in Central America. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. French Guiana (Guyane française officially fr ''Guyane'' is an Overseas department (French département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France Honduras in Spanish, República de Honduras) is a democratic republic in Central America. Nicaragua (ˌnɪkəˈrɑgwə officially the Republic of Nicaragua () is a representative democratic republic and the largest nation in Central America Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only Suriname ( Dutch: Suriname; Sranan Tongo: Sranan) officially the Republic of Suriname (traditionally spelled Surinam by The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( et seq or ESA is the most wide-ranging of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the Hunting of jaguars is restricted to "problem animals" in Brazil, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru, while trophy hunting is still permitted in Bolivia. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica,) is a Country in Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. The species has no legal protection in Ecuador or Guyana. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. Guyana (ɡaɪˈænə or /ɡiːˈɑːnə/ officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and previously known as British Guiana, is the only Nation state ^[22]

Current conservation efforts often focus on educating ranch owners and promoting ecotourism. Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a form of Tourism that appeals to ecologically and socially conscious individuals ^[52] The jaguar is generally defined as an "umbrella species"—a species whose home range and habitat requirements are sufficiently broad that, if protected, numerous other species of smaller range will also be protected. ^[53] Umbrella species serve as "mobile links" at the landscape scale, in the jaguar's case through predation. Conservation organizations may thus focus on providing viable, connected habitat for the jaguar, with the knowledge that other species will also benefit. ^[52]

Given the inaccessibility of much of the species' range—particularly the central Amazon—estimating jaguar numbers is difficult. Researchers typically focus on particular bioregions, and thus species-wide analysis is scant. In 1991, 600–1,000 (the highest total) were estimated to be living in Belize. Belize (bəˈliːz formerly British Honduras, is a country in Central America. A year earlier, 125–180 jaguars were estimated to be living in Mexico's 4,000 square kilometer (2400 mi²) Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, with another 350 in the state of Chiapas. The Calakmul Biosphere Reserve ( Reserva de la Biosfera de Calakmul) is located at the base of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, in the state of Campeche Chiapas is the southernmost state of Mexico, located towards the southeast of the country The adjoining Maya Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala, with an area measuring 15,000 square kilometers (9,000 mi²), may have 465–550 animals. The Maya Biosphere Reserve ( Reserva de la Biosfera Maya) is a Nature reserve in Guatemala managed by Guatemala's National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP ^[54] Work employing GPS-telemetry in 2003 and 2004 found densities of only six to seven jaguars per 100 square kilometers in the critical Pantanal region, compared with 10 to 11 using traditional methods; this suggests that widely used sampling methods may inflate the actual numbers of cats. Basic concept of GPS operation A GPS receiver calculates its position by carefully timing the signals sent by the constellation of GPS Satellites high above the Earth Telemetry (synonymous with Telematics) is a Technology that allows the remote measurement and reporting of Information of interest to the system designer ^[55]

On 7 January, 2008 United States Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental Dale Hall approved an unprecedented decision by the George W. Bush Administration to abandon jaguar recovery as a federal goal under the Endangered Species Act. The Presidency of George W Bush began on his inauguration on January 20, 2001 as the 43rd and current President of the United States of America The decision is the first of its kind in the 34-year history of the Endangered Species Act. Some critics of the decision said that the jaguar is being sacrificed for the government's new border fence, which is to be built along many of the cat's typical crossings between the United States and Mexico. ^[56]

In mythology and culture

Mesoamerican culture

Main article: Jaguars in Mesoamerican culture ^[57]

Jaguar warrior

Moche Jaguar. 300 A. D. Larco Museum Lima, Peru

In Central and South America, the jaguar has long been a symbol of power and strength. The Larco Museum (Museo Larco is located in the Pueblo Libre District in Lima, Peru. The Chavín cult of the jaguar became accepted over most of what is today Peru by 900 BC. Concurrent with Chavin, the Olmec, the progenitor culture of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, developed a distinct "were-jaguar" motif of sculptures and figurines showing stylized jaguars or humans with jaguar characteristics. The Olmec were an ancient Pre-Columbian people living in the Tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico, in what are roughly the modern-day states The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences Mesoamerica or Meso-America (Mesoamérica is a Region extending approximately from central Mexico to Honduras and Nicaragua, defined The Moche culture of Northern Peru used the jaguar as a symbol of power in many of their ceramics. The Moche civilization (alternately the Mochica culture Early Chimu Pre-Chimu Proto-Chimu etc ^[58] In the later Maya civilization, the jaguar was believed to facilitate communication between the living and the dead and to protect the royal household. The Maya civilization is a Mesoamerican Civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the Pre-Columbian Americas The Maya saw these powerful felines as their companions in the spiritual world, and kings were typically given a royal name incorporating the word jaguar. The Aztec civilization shared this image of the jaguar as the representative of the ruler and as a warrior. The Aztecs formed an elite warrior class known as the Jaguar Knights. Aztec is a term used to refer to certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who achieved political "Jaguar warriors" ( Classical Nahuatl: ocēlōtl) were certain members of the Aztec army that were professional Soldiers These soldiers In Aztec mythology, the jaguar was considered to be the totem animal of the powerful deity Tezcatlipoca. The Aztec civilization recognized a polytheistic mythology which contained the many gods (over 100 and supernatural creatures from their religious beliefs A totem is any supposed entity that watches over or assists a group of people such as a family Clan or tribe ( Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary and Webster's Tezcatlipoca (Tezcatlipōca teskatɬiˈpoːka was a central deity in Aztec religion, associated with a wide range of concepts including the night sky the night

Contemporary culture

The jaguar is widely used as a symbol in contemporary culture. It is the national animal of Guyana, and is featured in its coat of arms. Guyana (ɡaɪˈænə or /ɡiːˈɑːnə/ officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and previously known as British Guiana, is the only Nation state A coat of arms or armorial bearings (often just arms for short in European tradition is a design belonging to a particular person (or group of people ^[59] It is widely used as a product name, most prominently for a luxury car brand. Jaguar Cars Limited is a luxury car manufacturer based in Coventry, England, now operated as part of the Jaguar Land Rover business The name has been adopted by sports franchises, including NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars and the Mexican national soccer league team the Jaguares de Chiapas. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. Chiapas Fútbol Club, whose nickname is the Jaguares, is a Mexican professional football club based in the town of Tuxtla Gutiérrez in the state The crest of Argentina's national federation in rugby union features a jaguar; however, because of a historic accident, the country's national team is nicknamed Los Pumas. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. The Argentine Rugby Union (Unión Argentina de Rugby ( UAR) is the governing body for Rugby union in Argentina. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international Rugby union matches

Notes and references

External links

• Short narrated video about the jaguar
• The Nature Conservancy's Species Profile: Jaguar – Learn more about the Jaguar
• Jaguar preys on Anaconda
• Images of the jaguar (Panthera onca) from “ARKive images of life on Earth”
• The Jaguar in Argentina Red Yaguareté Argentina
• History about the last Jaguars in Misiones Jungle, (Argentina) - Free video