Jaguar |
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 Panthera
onca Endangered The Jaguar is the largest cat native to the Western Hemisphere. Ranging from central Patagonia in South America, it has, on occasion, been found as far north as the southern United States. In size and marking it looks very much like a leopard, although the jaguar is the much heavier animal, weighing up to 34 kg. It can be distinguished from a leopard also by its dark markings which are arranged in a rosette of 4 or 5 around a central light spot. The natural prey of this carnivore includes a large variety of animals of tropical South America. The more important of these are the capybara -- the world’s largest rodent -- peccaries, turtles, and alligators. Inhabiting thick, wooded country and arid, shrubby areas, jaguars often make their dens in caves, or under overhanging rocks. Their relatively heavy bodies prevent these cats from being good climbers, but, on the other hand, they are good swimmers. A typical litter consists of one to four young, born about 100 days after mating. |
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