DESCRIPTION 



The jaguar is the largest (1.5 to 2.2 m) and 

 most robust of the American cats. The tail is 

 short and somewhat bristly. Females average 

 smaller than males. The ground color varies from 

 pale yellow to rusty red dorsally, paler on the 

 sides, and white on the underparts and inner 

 surfaces of the legs. Markings are irregular 

 blotches and rosettes, the latter centered with 

 black spots. Young are more heavily spotted and 

 their coats are woolier. Both black and albino in- 

 dividuals occur occasionally. 



Photographs appear in Davis (1974), Guggis- 

 berg (1975), and Walker (1975). 



RANGE 



The jaguar was formerly distributed through- 

 out the tropical lowlands of Mexico, Central 

 America, and South America to about 40° S lati- 

 tude (Calahane 1947, Hall and Kelson 1959, Gug- 

 gisberg 1975). The former U.S. distribution in- 

 cluded southern California (Merriam 1919, Strong 

 1926, Seton 1937), New Mexico (Bailey 1931, 

 Seton 1937, Hill 1942, Halloran 1946, Findley et 

 al. 1975), southern Arizona (Musgrave 1921, 

 Schufeldt 1921, Poole and Schantz 1942, Hock 

 1955, Cockrum 1960), and possibly Louisiana 

 (Nowak 1973, Lowery 1974), and Colorado 

 (Seton 1920). 



Today, jaguars are essentially absent from 

 most of Mexico, Argentina, and settled provinces 

 in the remaining Central and South American 

 countries (lUCN 1972). There is no evidence for 

 its present occurrence in Louisiana (Lowery 1974) 

 or New Mexico (M. C. Conway personal commu- 

 nication); however, there may possibly be indivi- 

 duals in the border areas of the latter (Findley et 

 al. 1975). It is essentially absent from other areas 

 north of the Mexican border except as occasional 

 stray individuals in the border counties of Texas 

 and Arizona (Cockrum 1960, Davis 1974, Findley 

 et al. 1975, Guggisberg 1975, Lowman 1975). 



RANGE MAP 



Crosshatched areas on the following map in- 

 dicate possible range in border areas of U.S. 

 (Cockrum 1960, Davis 1974, Findley et al. 1975, 

 Guggisberg 1975, Brownlee 1978). Dots refer to 

 sightings and/or kills during the past century. 



STATES/COUNTIES 



Arizona: Cochise, Pima, Santa Cruz. 



New 



Mexico: Dona Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna. 



Texas: Brewster, Cameron, Dimmit, Hidalgo, 



Kinney, Maverick, Starr, Terrell, Val 

 Verde, Webb, Zapata. 



HABITAT 



The jaguar appears to require areas with cover 

 (Ewer 1973, Lowman 1975). It inhabits tropical 

 and subtropical forests ranging from mangrove 

 swamps to rain forests (Alston 1882, lUCN 

 1972). At the southern extreme of the range, 

 open savannas and deserts are used (lUCN 1972). 

 Chaparral and timbered areas are preferred at the 

 northern extreme of the range (Davis 1974). It 

 appears to have a preference for areas near water 

 (Davis 1974, Guggisberg 1975), but has been 

 reported from deserts (Guggisberg 1975). 



FOOD AND FORAGING BEHAVIOR 



Principal foods are peccaries {Tayassu sp.) and 

 capybaras {Hydro choerus sp.) (Guggisberg 1975). 

 It will also take tapirs (Tapirus sp.), agoutis 

 {Agouti sp., Dasyprocta sp.), otters {Lutra), deer, 

 small crocodilians, turtles and their eggs, large 

 ground-nesting birds, and occasionally livestock 

 (Denis 1964, Ewer 1973, Davis 1974, Guggisberg 

 1975, Lowman 1975). 



It stalks prey until close enough to pounce 

 (Guggisberg 1975), then drags the kill to the 

 nearest thicket to be eaten. Remains are not usu- 

 ally covered (Hoffmeister 1971). 



SHELTER REQUIREMENTS 



The jaguar requires dens in rocky caves or 

 dense thickets (Davis 1974). 



NESTING OR BEDDING 



The jaguar raises its young in dens (see Shel- 

 ter) (Davis 1974, Guggisberg 1975). 



RITUAL REQUIREMENTS 



The jaguar is solitary and somewhat territorial 

 in its habits, except during the breeding season. 

 Little is known about its territorial behavior be- 

 yond the fact that it will mark trees (Guggisberg 

 1975). 



