Endangered Animals Of North America
THE JAGUAR
By: Rohan Mohta
Save The Jaguar!
Description
The jaguar, also known as the "panthera onca" is a mammal and the largest cat in the Americas. Its body covering is fur, which is most likely black or tan with black rings and dots. The jaguar has a powerful body with strong jaws, a deep chest, and a big head. Jaguar adults can be up to three feet in height and four feet in length. Its tail can be up to 30 inches long. Females can weigh up to 200 pounds while males can weigh up to 250 pounds. The jaguar prefers low habitats, hunts on the ground, and mates year long. After a gestation period of 91-111 days, a female gives birth to usually one to four cubs, who take roughly two years to mature. Their lifespan in the wild in South America is about 11 years, though one jaguar lived for 32 years!
Habitat
The jaguar is found in South America, Central America, and in North America. In North America, it is found in Mexico, and in the United States in Arizona, California, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Texas. The jaguar loves to live in areas with a low elevation. They are forest dwellers, and you can find them in lowland rainforests, woodlands, and grasslands. Jaguars really like to live in tropical climates. They can find a tropical climate everywhere they live, especially the forest. Throughout its life, a jaguar always lives in a den. Its mom cares for it for two years and then the jaguar is on his own to find his own den.
Food Chain
The jaguar eats a lot of different types of food. These include deer, small mammals such as peccaries and otters, fish, and other marine reptiles and amphibians. The jaguars usually find food in the lowland rainforest. They can also hunt food in dry woodland and grassland, and they are almost never found above an elevation of 8,000 feet. Jaguars are carnivores and are at the top of the food chain. However, jaguars are actually sometimes prey to humans. If jaguars kill beneficial animals, then humans may kill jaguars.
Adaptations
Jaguars can protect themselves easily. First of all, they are at the top of the food chain, only sometimes threatened by humans. Some structures that jaguars have for protection are sharp teeth, good eyesight, and good hearing. Some behavior adaptations that jaguars have are camouflaging and speed. Some structures that jaguars have for getting and eating food are sharp teeth and powerful legs. Some behavior adaptations that jaguars have for getting and eating food are that they can camouflage and they can hunt alone and in packs.
Critical Information
On the endangered species list, the jaguar is considered "near threatened", but why? This is because of us humans. Many farmers are killing jaguars since they are annoyed that jaguars are killing domestic animals. Currently, to help the jaguar, it is fully protected in most of its range and hunting is prohibited in most countries. Please donate to protect the jaguar. Do they do any harm to us? If we do not protect them, they might become extinct!
Citations
The Jaguar, Tambako. N.p.. Web. 21 Apr 2013. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/tambako/5777743176>.
National Zoo, Smithsonian. N.p.. Web. 21 Apr 2013. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalzoo/3572816167/>.
National Zoo, Smithsonian. N.p.. Web. 21 Apr 2013. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/tambako/7315987476/">Tambako>.
Rupert, Nathan. N.p.. Web. 21 Apr 2013. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathaninsandiego/4395457525/>.
National Zoo, Smithsonian. N.p.. Web. 21 Apr 2013. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/pandiyan/560013841/">Pandiyan