Jaguar

The jaguar is found across a wide geographic range that extends from southern North America to South America. It is present from New Mexico to northern Argentina. The largest area is located in the Amazon basin in the regions of the Cerrado, Pantanal, and Southern Chaco. Populations in the United States, Mexico, and the southern part of the South American continent have largely disappeared.

It is a feline that particularly favors humid forests with dense vegetation but can still be found in scrublands, thickets, and marshes, always near bodies of water. Northern populations live in oak forests. In general, it avoids arid areas and rarely exceeds 2,700 meters in altitude.

Exclusively carnivorous, it is opportunistic and feeds on whatever it finds. The jaguar has many prey; in fact, its diet consists of more than 85 different prey species: capybaras, porcupines, peccaries, tapirs, deer, ungulates, fish, birds, livestock, snakes, turtles, caimans… Its hunting technique is rather rudimentary, as the jaguar attacks its prey by leaping on them from a hidden spot. The kill can be made either by biting directly at the neck to suffocate it, or by biting the back of the skull. This second option is made possible thanks to the power of its jaws, considered the strongest among felines. Unlike many felines, the jaguar is a predator that loves water. It catches many prey directly from the water, like caimans or turtles. Its bite can pierce the thick skin of caimans and the shells of turtles. Large prey can be exploited for up to 4 days, which helps save energy.

As such, they play an important role in the ecosystem by regulating prey populations.

The jaguar has no predator other than Man.

The jaguar is a solitary animal, mostly active at dawn and dusk, although it can be active throughout the day. It often rests during the day hidden in vegetation or under rocks.

A very good swimmer, it is capable of crossing a river several kilometers wide by swimming. The aquatic environment is essential for cooling off during hot periods.

This feline marks its territory with different indicators: scratches on trees, excrement, urine, and vocalizations. The territory covers 25 to 38 square kilometers for females and up to nearly 80 for males, which then includes 2 to 3 female territories.

Vocalization is the main mode of communication for this feline.

Solitary animals, jaguars only come together for reproduction, which can occur all year round, even though a peak is observed between December and March. During estrus, which lasts between 6 and 17 days, females call the nearby males using powerful vocalizations. These calls are usually made in the morning or evening. The males then respond to the female and go to her territory. This regularly leads to confrontations for access to the female. After mating, the female chases the male out of her territory. After a gestation period of about one hundred days, the female gives birth to 1 to 4 cubs. At birth, their eyes are closed and remain so for 2 weeks. The cubs are weaned at around 5 to 6 months but will only become truly independent at 15 to 24 months. The mechanisms of juvenile dispersal are still not well understood, but it does not seem to be triggered by the onset of sexual maturity in the young. Females become fertile between 2 and 2 and a half years, while males only reach fertility at around 3 and a half to 4 years.

Most births take place during the rainy season, when prey density is highest.

Females reproduce only every two years, due to their involvement in caring for the young.

The IUCN lists jaguars as near threatened. Even though some populations remain stable, the species is threatened by poaching, persecution and habitat destruction.

As the Amazon rainforest is increasingly exploited, the territory of the jaguar shrinks and becomes depleted. Having more and more trouble finding prey, it attacks livestock, increasing conflict with humans. The cause is the creation of crops for soy and oil palm. The jaguar is estimated to have lost 49% of its original range. Poaching also persists for the jaguar’s skin, teeth, and bones, as well as for trophies.

To protect this species and better study it, many actions are therefore being undertaken. Awareness campaigns and education programs are launched in schools to draw locals’ attention to the jaguar’s situation. In addition, green corridors are established between protected areas to allow jaguars to move from one region to another.