Jaguar Facts

Here are some Jaguar facts as part of this week's Thursday Thirteen...

1. Jaguar is the third largest wild cat and the biggest of the New World felines.

2. Jaguar resides almost exclusively in South America where it is the apex predator ahead of the Cougar.

3. Panthera Onca, Jaguar has held many names and titles through history and is revered in native cultures, with recorded references existing in remains of Mayan and Aztec civilizations.

4. Jaguar resembles the Leopard in its outward appearance even though it is more muscular and has shorter limbs. Even as both the big cats are spotted, rosettes in the Jaguar's case are bigger and thicker with small central spots.

5. As in the case of the Leopard, melanism also occurs in Jaguars, though the affected individuals are not entirely black and a close inspection reveals the distinct coat pattern. As with Leopards, the melanistic animals are called Black Panthers.

6. Habitat of the Jaguar comprises largely of dense, tropical rainforests and the great cat has thus evolved into a sturdy and compactly build stalk and ambush predator.

7. Ecosystem of the Jaguar is in fact quite similar to that of the Tiger in many parts of its range and like the bigger cat, the Jaguar too has developed a fondness for aqua, actively pursuing and hunting animals in water.

8. Another attribute that the feline shares with its striped cousin of the Panthera genus is tremendous strength. Jaguars are considered by some to be the strongest of all cats, pound for pound. They have been recorded lifting and carrying carcasses weighing as much as eight hundred pounds.

9. Jaguars have the strongest jaws amongst cats, second strongest in all land mammals. They can bite through the shell of turtles.

10. The great strength in canines and jaw muscles has enabled the Jaguar to adapt a unique killing technique. It invariably kills a number of animals in its menu by biting through their skull. The crushing bite pierces through the temporal bones and finishes off the prey instantly!

11. Versatile predators, Jaguars take down a variety of animals ranging from frogs, mice, birds, fish and deer to caiman and tapir. They play an integral role in maintaining balance and harmony in their ecosystem.

12. Jaguars are also skilled climbers. The arboreal ability enables them to catch unaware monkeys as well as carry their prey to safety in case of rising water levels.

13. In many ways Jaguars are the most complete of all cats. It is therefore sad that their numbers are shrinking in the wild owing to habitat fragmentation and conflicts with humans.