I50 



MAMMALS OF AMERICA 



JAGUAR 

 Felis hernandezii (Gray) = Felis onca Linnaeus 



General Description. — Largest of the North Amer- 

 ican Cats. Body larger and heavier than that of 

 Cougar; tail less than half the length of head and 

 body ; body spotted : head very large proportionally ; 

 jaws powerful ; dentition heavy ; neck short and thick ; 

 color in general golden yellow dotted with hollow spots 

 or rosettes of black. 



Dental Formula. — Incisors, 

 Premolars, ^^ • 



3-3" 



Canines, 



i=^ ; Molars. -~- = 30. 



Pelage. — Adults : Sexes similar. No seasonal 

 variation. Color variable ; usual pattern, above brown- 

 ish or golden-yellow ; beneath, white spotted with black ; 

 shoulders, neck and head covered with small black 

 spots ; body covered with large rosettes or hollow areas 

 of black with one or more black spots in the center and 

 arranged in from five to seven rows ; black spot at 



opening of mouth; tail ringed with black; lips, throat, 

 underparts and under side of tail white; ear behind 

 black, huffy spot near tip ; hair close and soft. Young : 

 Tawny gray spotted with black. 



Measurements. — Males average larger than females, 

 probably one-fourth. Length, 6 to 8 feet; tail, 20 to 24 

 inches. Weight of male, 150 to 250 pounds. Weight of 

 female, 120 pounds. 



Range. — Red River of Louisiana, and Te.xas south- 

 ward into Mexico. 



Food. — Deer and other wild animals, pigs, cattle, 

 horses. 



Remarks. — This powerful, handsome Cat reaches the 

 United States only as a wanderer from Mexico, as the 

 country north of the Rio Grande is only the extreme 

 edge of its range. There is but the one species known 

 to cross over, and of recent years this has been rarely 

 encountered. 



The Jaguar is the largest of all the spotted 

 Cats, being next in size to the Tiger, but second 

 to none in fierceness. South of the Rio Grande 

 it is usually called "El Tigre " (pronotinced 

 "Teagre"). Though more essentially inter- 

 tropical than most of the large felines, its range 

 at one time extended as far north and east as 

 Arkansas. James Capen Adams, better known 

 perhaps as " Grizzly Adams," stated that in the 

 year 1854, in the mountains of Sottthern Colo- 

 rado, he met a pair of Jaguars, followed l)v two 

 cubs. There is no doubt, however, that the 

 Jaguar ranged as far north as latitude ;i7° , but 

 like many others of our large-game animals, has 

 gradually receded before the trend of civilization. 

 Of late years a few have been taken in Arizona, 

 and in 1910 one was shot in Central Western 

 Texas. At the present writing there are still 

 a few Jaguars within the borders of the United 

 States, but to meet with one is becoming a rare 

 occurrence. From the Rio Grande south they 

 become plentiful, ranging through Mexico, 

 Central America, and as far south as Patagonia 

 in South America. 



Unlike the Cougar, Jaguars seem to require a 

 constant supply of water. In contradiction of 

 this, and showing a well-known fact that ani- 

 mals will frequently alter their generally con- 

 ceded habits, according to their changed sur- 

 roundings, the Jaguar is found on the great 

 pampas to the north of Patagonia, a place totally 



unfitted to its usual habits, where it has been 

 attracted by the abundance of mammalian prey. 



Few animals surpass the Jaguar in point 

 of beauty, and none in agility or stealth. His 

 every motion is easy and flexible in the highest 

 degree, he bounds atnong the rocks and trees 

 with an agility truly surprising; now stealing 

 along the ground with the silence of a snake, 

 now crouching with fore-paws extended and his 

 head laid between them, while his checkered tail 

 twitches impatiently and his eyes glare upon his 

 expected victim. 



At first glance one might mistake the Jaguar 

 for a heavily built Leopard. In form the Jaguar 

 is thick-set. It does not stand as high at the 

 shoulders as the Cougar, but is a far more 

 powerful animal. Its skull resembles that of a 

 Lion or Tiger, but it is much broader in pro- 

 portion to its length. 



The ground color of the Jaguar varies greatly, 

 ranging from grayish-wdiite to black, while the 

 rosette markings in the two extremes are but 

 faintly visible. The typical color, however, is 

 golden yellow, or a rich tan tipon the head, neck, 

 body, outside of legs and tail near the root. The 

 ears are black, with a bufif spot at the tip. The 

 nose is usually a pinkish brown. The fleshy part 

 of the lips is black, which, when parted, inake 

 the cruel, white fangs stand out in contrast. 



The average length of a fine specimen is 

 from six and one-half to seven and one-half 

 feet, the males averaging a foot longer than the 



