Photo: Rhett Butler
Jaguar
King
of the American jungles.
By: Andrés Benavente
Photos by: Jordi Anguera, Roshan Rao
Rhett Butler & Frans Lanting.
The
largest feline in America lives in the depths of the tropical jungles.
In this habitat he is the unchallenged king of the jungle, since he has
no predators, nor natural enemies.
Unlike most cats, the Jaguar (panthera onca) feels at home in the water and they are excellent swimmers.
Being
well adapted for hunting of aquatic and sub-aquatic prey from the
surface, they can normally be found in the vicinity of rivers hunting
for aquatic animal and those that come to the river for a drink.
His preys range from deer, peccaries, tapirs, birds, rodents, fish and snakes, and even large alligators.
Their
diet includes a total of over 80 different species within a territory
that oscillates between 10 sq.miles to 60 sq.miles, depending on the
availability of food.
 Photo: Jordi Anguera
The Jaguar is a lone hunter and does not relate to others of their species beyond the mating season.
At
one time his territory included large parts of America, but today they
are abundant only in some areas of Central America and the Amazon.
They
measure between 3,9 and 6,2 feet in length at maturity with a height of
32 inches.
Their average weight varies between 170 lbs. and 250 lbs.
but some have reached up to 330 pounds.
Photo: Frans Lanting
DID YOU KNOW?
A condition known as melanism can cause a Jaguar to appear completely black (even though their spots are actually visible upon close observation).
These animals are known as black panthers, but they are not a separate species.
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