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  • Writer's pictureJennifer J

An Animal Profile: The Jaguar


Jaguar

Jaguars are one of the most beautiful animals in the world.


Jaguars look similar in appearance to Leopards. However, Jaguars are a different species of animal from Leopards.


Both Jaguars and Leopards belong to the genus called 'Panthera'. Panthera animals belong to the family known as the Felidae family. The Felidae family are all cat species.


There are five different species of big cats in the Panthera group. These big five cat species are: 1) Lions, 2) Tigers, 3) Snow Leopards, 4) Leopards and 5) Jaguars. Most of these big cats are found in Africa and Asia. The exception is Jaguars, which are found in the Americas.


Jaguars are found living within several different habitats in the wild.


These habitats are - Rainforests, Wetlands, Shrublands, Grasslands and Savannas.


Jaguars can be pretty adaptable to various kinds of habitats in the wild. All of their habitats in the wild are tropical habitats.


What Do Jaguars Eat In The Wild?


Jaguars are carnivores. Their diet consists of other animals.



Jaguar

Jaguars eat a wide variety of other animals. This includes animals like Caimans - Caimans are a similar-looking animal to a Crocodile. They also eat other animals, including - deers, tapirs, capybaras and peccaries.


Jaguars are skilled hunters, on land and in water. Their excellent swimming skills help them to hunt other animals in the water. There are several different aquatic animals that Jaguars eat. These include - turtles, fish and caimans.


When Is The Jaguar Mating Season?


The Jaguar reproduction season is just a few months of the year.


It is from December to March every year.


When Do Female Jaguars Give Birth?


Female Jaguars are pregnant for up to around 100 days. They are pregnant for around 3 and a half months before they give birth to their cubs.


How Many Cubs Do Jaguars Have?


Female Jaguars will give birth to around 2 to 4 Jaguar cubs. The cubs will rely on their mother and father until they are old enough to look after themselves.


Adult Jaguars caring for their cubs together is one the few ways that Jaguars socialize with each other. Jaguars are typically solitary animals otherwise.


When Do Cubs Start Hunting With Their Mother?


Jaguar cubs will be weaned from their mother at around 6 months old. After the cubs are weaned from their mother, the cubs will then move on to hunting with their mother - where they will learn hunting and survival skills. Jaguar cubs will typically start hunting with their mothers around a year and a half after they are born.


At What Age Do Jaguar Cubs Become Independent?



Jaguar

Jaguar cubs hunt alongside their mother for around two years. At about two years old, the Jaguar cubs will become independent from their mother and start to live on their own.


What Is The Population Of Jaguars?


The estimated Jaguar population is 170,000 Jaguars.


What Is Their Conservation Status?


The conservation status of Jaguars is that they are 'near threatened'.


As a near threatened animal, it means they are one step away from being classed as vulnerable to extinction and two steps away from becoming an endangered animal.



The Amazon Rainforest

Although Jaguars are thankfully not endangered, they are vulnerable to extinction - especially if their habitats keep being destroyed.


What Threats Do Jaguars Face?


Jaguars face numerous threats; this is why these beautiful animals are a near-threatened with extinction.


Here are some of the many threats that Jaguars face: Forest fires, Fires in the Pantanal wetlands, The destruction of the Amazon rainforest, Human houses/roads and other 'developments', Agriculture, Trapping and hunting of Jaguars, Mining/energy production and drilling and Pollution.


These threats that Jaguars face - threaten their lives, existence and habitat homes.


What Kingdom Do Jaguars Belong To?


Jaguars belong to the kingdom known as 'Animalia'.


The Animalia kingdom is the kingdom of animals.


What Class Do They Belong To?


They also belong to the Mammalia class.


The Mammalia class is the class where all mammal species belong. Therefore, Jaguars are mammals.


What Family Do They Belong To?


They belong to the Felidae family.


They are felines/cats.


What Genus Do They Belong To?


They belong to the genus called Panthera.


What Order Do They Belong To?


Jaguars belong to the order called Carnivora.


They are carnivores; Jaguars only eat other animals in their diet.


Black Panthers



Black Panther

Black Panthers are a melanistic variant of Jaguars. A melanistic variant of an animal means that an animal has a black pigment in their fur.


Fun Fact


Jaguars are amazing swimmers.




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