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Jaguars are carnivorous spotted
large cats that are native to South
and Central America.
Jaguar Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Panthera
Species: Onca
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Habitat: Jaguars are found
in South and Central America. Jaguars
can be found in deciduous forests,
rainforests, swamps, pampas grasslands
and mountain scrub areas.
Jaguar Species: There are
disagreements about the number of
jaguar subspecies but some include:
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Jaguar
Subspecies Include:
Peruvian Jaguar
- Panthera Onca Peruviana
Mexican Jaguar - Panthera
Onca Hernandesii
Central American Jaguar -
Panthera Onca Centralis
Arizonan Jaguar - Panthera
Onca Arizonensis
Goldman's jaguar - Panthera
Onca Goldmani
Panthera Onca Palustris
Panthera Onca Veraecrucis
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Size: Jaguars are the third-largest
living cat species, only the tiger
and lion are larger. Size and weights
vary considerably. Jaguars stand
at 2.25- 2.5 feet at their shoulder
and they measure 5.5 - 8 feet from
tip to tail. Jaguars weigh between
100-350 lbs. Females are typically
15% smaller than their male counterparts.
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Jaguar
in Foreign Languages
Classical Nahuatl: Ocelotl
Croatian: Jaguar
Czech: Jaguar
Dutch: Jaguar
Estonian: Jaaguar
Finnish: Jaguaari
French: Jaguar
German: Jaguar
Indonesian: Jaguar
Irish: Iaguar
Italian: Giaguaro
Mayan: B'alam
Navajo: Shadi'aahde´e´'
Nashdoitsoh Likizhigii
Polish: Jaguar
Portuguese: Jaguar
/ Onça
Romanian: Jaguar
Spanish: Jaguar / Tigre
/ Yaguareté
Swahili: Jagwa
Turkish: Jaguar
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Diet: The diet of a jaguar
constists deer, crocodiles, snakes,
monkeys, deer, sloths, tapirs, turtles,
eggs, frogs, and fish. Jaguars are
ambush hunters, in fact they are
considered the best ambush hunter
in all of animal kingdom.
Description: Jaguars have
a large and muscular bodyl that
has a heavier and sturdier body
than that of a Leopard. Jaguars
have a compact body with a broad
head. The jaguar's coat is yellow
and tan, but the color can vary
from reddish brown to black. Jaguars
have rosette shaped patterns of
spots along their side and backs.
Behavior: Jaguars have home
ranges, a males range is larger
than that of a female. A male jaguar's
home range is between 19-53 square
miles. The female jaguar's home
range is between 10-37 square miles.
Jaguars mark their territories with
urine, and by scratching marks onto
trees.
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Birth: Jaguars have
litters with 1-4 cubs. Jaguar
cubs weigh 1.5 to 2 lbs at
birth. They are born blind
and helpless.
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Did
You Know?
Jaguars are completely
at home in the water
and are seldom far
from a river or lake.
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Gestation: Jaguars carry
their young for 90-110 days.
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Cubs: Jaguar cubs
stay with their mother for
1-1.5 years.
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Did
You Know?
The name jaguar is
said to come from
the the Native American
word yaguar,
which means he
who kills with one
leap.
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Sexual Maturity: Jaguars
are considered sexually mature between
the ages of 2 to 4.
Life Span: Jaguars live
15 to 20 years in the wild and 25
years in captivity.
Social Structure: Jaguars
are solitary except when breeding
or rearing young.
Athleticism: Jaguars are
excellent swimmers, they can move
through the water at surprising
speeds, particularly when they are
in pursuit of prey.
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