Jaguars
By: Ella Evenson
Where They Can Be Found
Jaguars can be found only in the remote regions of South and Central America but are usually found in the Amazon Basin.
What They Eat
Jaguars are predators to many animals like capybaras, fish, caimens, peccaries, tapirs, monkeys, sloths, turtles, frogs, and many other animals of the Amazon. Jaguars have a special way of eating their prey, they bite from the back of the head instead of the neck or throat. Jaguars are never prey to any animal due to their fast running.
Anatomy of Jaguars
Jaguars can stand up to three feet tall and their length can get up to six feet. An average male jaguar can weigh at about 120 ponds. Some jaguars get up to weigh about 300 ponds though. The jaguars coating, black spots that look like broken rosettes, allow the jaguar to blend in with their surroundings to catch their prey.
Habitat of the Jaguar
Jaguars are usually found in rainforests, woodlands, grasslands, or anything they can climb or hunt in.
The Jaguar's Diet
Jaguars are mostly nocturnal hunters. They eat more than 85 species of prey in their habitats. Unfortunately, Jaguars compete with humans for most of their prey.
Jaguars Threats
A Jaguar faces no natural threat from any predators, but they do face a threat against humans. In the 1960's and 1970's, more than 15,000 Jaguars were killed for their fur to be traded. Although, now trading Jaguar fur has been reduced by consumer awareness campaigns, they still face the pressure from hunters. Scientists predict if Jaguars are still around in the future, they will be put in protected areas such as a zoo.
Interesting Facts About Jaguars
- They are the largest cat from South America.
- Females have litters of one to four cubs, which are blind and helpless at birth
- Some jaguars are so dark they appear to be spotless