Jaguars are the largest of South America's big cats. They once roamed from the southern tip of that continent north to the region surrounding the U.S.-Mexico border. Today significant numbers of jaguars are found only in remote regions of South and Central America-particularly in the Amazon basin.These beautiful and powerful beasts were prominent in ancient Native American cultures. In some traditions the Jaguar God of the Night was the formidable lord of the underworld. The name jaguar is derived from the Native American word yaguar, which means "he who kills with one leap."
Ten Facts about Jaguar
- The jaguar is the largest species of cat native to the Western Hemisphere. Jaguars are muscular cats with relatively short, massive limbs and a deep-chested body.
- Jaguars inhabit the rainforests of South America. They occur in the countries of southern Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Panama, El Salvador, Uraguay, Guatemala, Peru, Columbia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Surinam, and French Guiana.
- Life span is 20-22 years.
- Size of jaguar is Head and body, 5 to 6 ft (1.5 to 1.8 m); tail, 27.5 to 36 in (70 to 91 cm).
- There weight is 100 to 250 lbs (45 to 113 kg).
- Most jaguars are tan or orange with distinctive black spots, dubbed "rosettes" because they are shaped like roses.
- Jaguars live alone and define territories of many square miles by marking with their waste or clawing trees.
- Females have litters of one to four cubs, which are blind and helpless at birth. The mother stays with them and defends them fiercely from any animal that may approach-even their own father. Young jaguars learn to hunt by living with their mothers for two years or more.
- Unlike many other cats, jaguars do not avoid water; in fact, they are quite good swimmers.
- The male jaguar is normally six feet long. He weighs around two hundred and fifty pounds. This weight is evenly distributed throughout a muscular neck and shoulders, a barrel like body and short, stout legs. It's powerful paws also threaten to pack a powerful punch.
