Jaguar

The jaguar (Panthera onca), also known as jaguar is a carnivorous mammal , a member of the feline family , found in the warm and temperate regions of the American continent. It is a symbol of the Brazilian fauna . The words "jaguar" and "jaguaretê" originate in the Guarani term "jaguarete". In Mayan mythology , despite being quoted as a sacred animal, it was hunted in initiation ceremonies of men as warriors . 

Geographical distribution: 

The jaguar initially spread from the southern United States to northern Argentina. However, its territory of occupation decreased noticeably. It is usually found in forest reserves and closed forests of Brazil , as well as in other wild places where small mammals live that it feeds. 

Their preferred habitat are wilderness areas, near large bodies of water, frequented by their favorite prey. Avoid mountainous regions, preferred puma habitat . 

Appearance:

The jaguar looks very much like the leopard at first glance. Further examination shows, however, that their hair pattern shows significant differences. While the leopard has smaller but larger rosettes, the ounce spots are more scattered and draw a larger rosette, some of them with black dots in the middle. The inside of these spots is a golden / yellow darker than the rest of the coat. There are also some melancholic individuals, the so-called black jaguars. They do not belong to another species, and their spots are still easily recognizable in the dark coat; it is only a genetic mutation in which individuals produce more melanin than normal, which causes a further darkening of the coat of these animals.

The head of the jaguar is proportionately larger in relation to the body. An adult specimen reaches up to 2.10 m in length, weighing around 115 kg, although on average males weigh 90 kg and females weigh 75 kg. The height of the withers is approximately 70 cm, being the largest feline of the Americas. 

The jaguar is the largest carnivorous mammal in Brazil, and requires at least 2 kg of food per day, which determines the occupation of a territory of 25 to 80 km2 per individual in order to capture a large variety of prey. 

The jaguar naturally selects the easiest tusks to be slaughtered, usually inexperienced, sick or older individuals, which can be of benefit to the prey population itself.

In the reproductive age, the jaguars lose some of their individualistic habits and the couple shows some attachment, and even there is cooperation in hunting. Normally, the male separates from the female before the puppies are born. In general, after one hundred days of gestation, two puppies are born inside a burrow - initially with their eyes closed. At the end of two weeks they open their eyes and only after two months leave the den. When they reach 1.5 to 2 years, they separate from the reproductive system, becoming sexually mature and thus reproducing.

Although they are so feared, they escape the human presence and even in the oldest stories, the cases of attack to the man are rare. Because it needs a large territory to survive, it can "invade" farms in search of domestic animals, thus awakening the wrath of the farmers who kill it without mercy. For this reason, and especially for the rapid reduction of its habitat, this naturally rare cat is still on the verge of extinction in Brazil. 

Feeding: 

The jaguar is an excellent hunter. Short legs do not allow long runs, but they provide great strength, fundamental to dominate powerful animals like tapirs , capybaras , jaws , anteaters and even alligators. Occasionally these felines attack and devour large snakes ( boa constrictors and sucuris ), when hunger tightens and they find no other prey. In Venezuela cases of jaguars were recorded to devour adult sucuris . While the other big cats kill their victims by biting them in the neck , the jaguar attacks them directly on the cervical , thanks to their powerful jaws, the strongest of all felines and the second strongest among terrestrial carnivores. These cats often kill animals such as capybara and small monkeys biting their skulls, being the only feline to do this. The bite of an ounce can easily traverse the hull of a turtle . Despite this, the jaguar does not shy away from eating small animals if the chance comes to him. 

Reproduction: 

Jaguars are solitary and only seek the company of a pair during the mating season. Gestation lasts an average of 100 days and up to four puppies can be generated. These are born blind and begin to see after 2 weeks. The female only breeds up to two per litter, the puppies remaining with the mother until the age of two. Males reach sexual maturity around three years, while females reach two years. In captivity, the jaguars live for up to 20 years. Life expectancy for wild animals falls by half. 

Conservation Status:

Hunting for the fur, destruction of their habitats, population isolation, and hunting and poisoning by ranchers have contributed to declining numbers of jaguars across America. 

The jaguar was extinguished in the United States of America in 1986 , having been sighted for the last time in Arizona .