Jaguar (Panthera onca) Fact Sheet, 2008
Image Credit: San Diego Zoo Global. All Rights Reserved.
Describer (Date): Linnaeus 1758
Species: Panthera onca
Body Weight: 57-113 kg (126-249 lb)
Body Length: 112-185 cm (44-73 in)
Tail Length: 45-75 cm (18-30 in)
Pelage: Spotted pattern in rosettes, with smaller spots inside.
|Distribution & Status||Behavior & Ecology|
Range: Mexico through Central America, South America; a few individuals live in U.S. southwest.
Habitat: Dense lowland and montane tropical forests; often near water, though highly adaptable to drier habitats.
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
CITES Appendix: Appendix I Species
Population in Wild: Very difficult to estimate; 3,000 to 6,000 in Guatemala, Belize, Mexico, Pantanal of Brazil.
Locomotion: 50 cm (19.7 in) strides; run top sped (100 km/hr or 64 mph) short distance.
Activity Cycle: Primarily hunt at night; varies locally.
Social Groups: Solitary except when mating or female caring for young.
Diet: Some 85 species; including capybara, marsh deer, giant anteater, red brocket deer; turtles, fish, birds, and alligator.
|Reproduction & Development||Species Highlights|
Sexual Maturity: Males: 3- 4 years; females: 2-3 years
Gestation: c.100 days
Litter Size: 2 cubs most common; up to 4
Birth weight: c. 800 g (1.7 lb)
Age at Weaning: 5 to 6 months
Longevity: Estimated in wild, 11 years; 20-27 years in captivity
Feature Facts: Largest and most robust cat of Americas; circumference of massive head usually greater than height at shoulder.
Society Press: In the 1960's two jaguars at the zoo, Rita and Rio, had 12 cubs.
About This Fact Sheet
© 2008 San Diego Zoo Global
How to cite: Jaguar (Panthera onca) Fact Sheet, 2008. c. 2008. San Diego (CA): San Diego Zoo Global; [accessed YYYY Mmm dd]. http://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/jaguar.
(note: replace YYYY Mmm dd with date accessed, e.g., 2015 Jan 15)
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