POPULATION NUMBERS AND TRENDS 



Once common throughout its range, the jaguar 

 is now uncommon to rare. Fair numbers remain 

 in eastern Campeche, Selva Lacandone, eastern 

 Chiapas, and eastern Oaxaca in Mexico and west- 

 em El Peten in Guatemala (lUCN 1972). It is 

 scattered and considered a pest in Argentina 

 (lUCN 1972). North of Mexico, it occurs ex- 

 tremely rarely, in Texas, Arizona, and New 

 Mexico (Hock 1955, Cockrum 1960, Culbertson 

 and Schmidly 1974, Davis 1974). It is believed 

 unlikely that the jaguar could reestablish in 

 Texas, due to habitat loss (Brownlee 1978). No 

 current population estimates are available. There 

 are no viable breeding populations in the U.S. (W. 

 C. Brownlee personal communication); the jaguar 

 in the U.S. exists only as an occasional stray. 



REPRODUCTION 



The breeding season is year-round in tropical 

 areas of the range (Cahalane 1946, Ewer 1975, 

 Guggisberg 1975). In the more northern areas, 

 breeding takes place in December and January 

 wdth births in April and May (Davis 1974). Fe- 

 males are polyestrous (Ewer 1968) and males 

 fight for first breeding rights (Guggisberg 1975). 

 Gestation lasts 93 to 113 days (Asdell 1964, 

 Denis 1964, Davis 1974). Litter size ranges from 

 one to four with an average of two (Cahalane 

 1947, Denis 1964, Ewer 1973). The growth rate 

 is not well known, but 8-week-old cubs will weigh 

 from 2 to 3 kg (Hunt 1967). Young stay with the 

 mother for about 2 years, at which time sexual 

 maturity is reached (Denis 1964, Guggisberg 

 1975), Both parents help rear young, but the bulk 

 of the burden is on the female (Guggisberg 1975). 

 The family unit is maintained until the young are 

 at least a year old (Davis 1974). Record longevity 

 for a captive is 20 years (Guggisberg 1975). 



MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION 



No recovery team has been appointed for the 

 jaguar. The species is protected in the U.S. and 

 most of the Central and South American countries 

 within its range, but laws are not adequately 

 enforced (lUCN 1972). Colombia still allows 

 hunting of all felid species. Protection in some 

 Central and South American countries is provided 

 in National Parks (lUCN 1972). Importation of 

 skins to the U.S. is prohibited except by permit. 

 However, illicit commerce to European and Asian 

 markets is common (lUCN 1972). 



The lUCN is surveying the jaguar's status in 

 Latin America; in a cooperative venture, the 

 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Direccion 

 General de la Fauna Silvestre of Mexico with sup- 

 port from the National Wildlife Federation, the 

 National Audubon Society, and the Texas and 

 New Mexico Departments of Game and Fish, are 

 surveying the population status in Mexico (USFWS 

 1978). A feline status survey by the Texas Parks 

 and Wildlife Department has found no evidence 

 of recent occurrence of jaguars in that State 

 (Brownlee 1978). 



Brush clearing in national wildlife refuges in 

 the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas has been 

 stopped to preserve rapidly disappearing brush 

 habitat. 



AUTHORITIES 



W. C. Brovsmlee 



Texas Parks and Wildlife Department 



4200 Smith School Road 



Austin, TX 78744 



E. Leddell Cockrum 

 Department of Zoology 

 University of Arizona 

 Tucson, AZ 85719 



W. B.Davis 



Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Science 



Texas A&M University 



College Station, TX 77843 



Roy McBride 

 Department of Biology 

 Sul Ross University 

 Box 725 

 Alpine, TX 79830 



PREPARER'S COMMENTS 



Literature is scarce on the habits and ecology 

 of wild jaguar populations. More research is 

 needed in this area. Status surveys are needed to 

 assess population levels, in addition to protection 

 of habitat. 



LITERATURE CITED/SELECTED 

 REFERENCES 



Alston, E. R. 1882. Biologia Centrali-Americana. 

 Mammalia. 219 pp. 



Anthony, H. E. 1928. Field book of North Ame- 

 rican mammals. Putnam and Sons, New 

 York. 674 pp. 



