Jaguar
Keystone
Background and Characteristics
Inhabiting the Amazon, Jaguars prefer to live near the river, sleeping during the day and hunting in the evening. They lie in wait on their prey instead of actively pursuing their meals. Unlike most cats, jaguars can even swim, crossing rivers to attack other animals.
Roles as a Keystone Species
Though it will eat almost any vertebrate, the jaguar's major prey includes deer, monkeys, capybaras, and occasionally sloths. The jaguar is considered a keystone species because as a powerful predator, it keeps the food web of the Amazon balanced by controlling populations of its prey.
Works Cited
"Jaguar." Jaguar. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Oct. 2013. <http://passporttoknowledge.com/rainforest/ECOsystem/Animals/jaguar.html>.
Endless Tours Cancun: Jaguar: Mexico's Iconic Big Cat. N.d. Photograph. Endless Tours Cancun: Jaguar: Mexico's Iconic Big Cat. Web. 02 Oct. 2013. <http://endlesscancun.blogspot.com/2011/01/jaguar-mexicos-big-cat.html>.