Ranger Report About Jaguars

Transcription

1 1. Ranger Report About Jaguars Kingdom Phylum Class Animalia Chordata Mammalia Order Carnivora Family Felidae Copyright - The Rainforest Rangers 1

2 Mammal, carnivore Status: near threatened Habitat: tropical rainforests About Jaguars The jaguar has a yellowish brown coat with a white stomach and black spots all over its body. Its tail is short for a large cat less than half the length of its head and body. This cat is adapted to grip prey with its great head, shoulders and forepaws. This endangered cat is the largest of Central American carnivores. The jaguar used to be common in many habitats, including mangroves, lowland savannas, wet and dry shrublands and forests up to 1000 m in elevation but now they are rare except in large protected reserves. Because of the jaguar's conspicuous tracks, the market value of its pelt, its reputation for killing livestock, and its vulnerability to hound pursuit, their numbers and commonality are far reduced today. These cats suffer not only from hunting, but also from habitat destruction. They are sensitive to habitat size: in forest reserves a single male needs several hundred square kilometers for his home range, and females need somewhat less per individual. Sometimes young males will resort to areas with habitats far from normal for them. But because jaguars require such large territories, even in reserves their numbers do not compare to when they prowled most of Costa Rica. Copyright - The Rainforest Rangers" 2

3 image by Jan Dwire Jaguars will leave deep scratches on tree trunks, but it is not known whether they use urine or scratches on the ground to mark territories. A strong swimmer, the jaguar is able to cross rivers and other bodies of water. It tends to prefer damp areas like streambeds where footprints betray its presence, size, and whereabouts. The jaguar is mostly nocturnal but sometimes will sun during the day. At night it may roar at any time of year; some hunters call to them with imitations. Unfortunately for this impressive predator, the jaguar does not seem to avoid the scent of men and may even follow them, although they rarely attack humans unprovoked and do not provide much of a threat to humans. The main threat to current Costa Rica jaguar populations is no longer poaching, but deforestation for the sake of agriculture. Once roads enter a virgin area, jaguars and peccaries are the first large mammals to disappear. Copyright - The Rainforest Rangers 3

4 Since 1900, jaguars have disappeared from over 50% of their range due to persecution by livestock ranchers, degradation of habitat, and human hunting of the jaguar s prey. In many countries, jaguars are protected, but enforcement is difficult and jaguar skins are still sold on the black market. Jaguars are apex predators and at the top of the food chain in the jungle. No animal will injure a mature jaguar except man. Copyright - The Rainforest Rangers" 4

5 Did you know: 1. Jaguars live alone and define territories of many square miles by marking with their waste or clawing trees. 2. Jaguars are still hunted for their attractive fur. 3. A jaguar uses its tail to fish by waving it over the water to attract fish. 4. Jaguars love to swim and usually are found near a lake or river. 5. Jaguars are the largest cat in the Western Hemisphere and third in the world (only lions and tigers are larger.) 6. Jaguars often bite through the temporal bones of the skull resulting in instant death. 7. Jaguars are born blind. 8. Until the 1900's,they also roamed the Yukon, Southern United States, and Iceland. 9. In Native Cultures, Jaguars were the God of the Night. 10.Jaguars prefer to live in thick forests. 11.Jaguars are expert hunters. They hunt in water, land, and trees. 12.Nearly 18,000 jaguars are killed every year for their beautiful fur coat. 13.The jaguar is largely a solitary, opportunistic, stalk-and-ambush predator at the top of the food chain (an apex predator) Copyright - The Rainforest Rangers 5

6 Characteristics Darkness of overall coloration, frosting on shoulders, distinct rings on tail, long muzzle and tail. Environmental Threats Not threatened at this time Enemies Family Jaguar are at the top of the food chain ; humans Solitary unless in mating season Mothers give birth from 1 to 4 cubs Cubs live with the mother up to age two or beyond. Food Life Span Deer, peccaries, tapir, years in the wild Predator Man - Size Weight foot ( M) long, tail inches (45-75c) Male 120 pounds (54K), female 70 (32K) Copyright - The Rainforest Rangers" 6

7 Big Cat Lookalikes At first glance, it s easy to confuse the jaguar with its closest relative, the leopard. However, the muscular jaguar has a stockier, more powerful body with shorter limbs, a larger head, and a shorter tail. The jaguar s spots are also different, forming black rosettes that may include black dots on a tan background. The spotted coat provides wonderful camouflage in the forest. Moreover, jaguars are found only in the Americas, while leopards inhabit Asia and Africa. Their large canine teeth and muscular jaws deliver a bite more powerful than other big cats. Although jaguars look most like leopards, they are actually the tiger s New World counterpart in terms of their behavioral and ecological needs. Mainly nocturnal, jaguars also can be active during the day. They like to cool themselves in pools or rivers, and often rest in trees. Jaguars live alone except for a mother and her cubs or a courting pair. They mark their home ranges with urine, feces, and scrape marks, and roar to warn other jaguars entering their territory. Copyright - The Rainforest Rangers 7

8 Jaguar Word Search A R F A S T O P S P L P O W E R F U L R K C A T T A O X H E J A G U A R R Q U Y L A R G E D E D N R W H G G M O E T T F I E E S U O I R U F L A M M A M A O P F Attack Hunt Predator Cat Jaguar Prey Dangerous Large Smart Furious Mammal Spots Heavy Powerful Strong Copyright - The Rainforest Rangers" 8

9 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE 1. True or false: Jaguars claws never retract. 2. Which best described the color of a jaguar? A - gold, black, tan B - yellow, black, white C - gold D - black, white 3. True or false: Jaguars look mostly like leopards? 4. True or false: Jaguars prefer to live in sparse fields 5.Why are jaguars endangered? A- poachers B - deforestation C - loss of habitat D - hunters 6. True or false: The jaguar has the strongest jaw with the most powerful bite in the animal kingdom? 7. Which continents are the natural habitat for the jaguar? A - Africa and Europe B - Asia C - Australia D - South and North America 8.True or false: Jaguars closely resemble tigers in appearance. 9. In nature, adult jaguars are apex predators in the food chain. What does this mean? A - The feed only on other predators B - Besides hunting, they also feed on plants C - They are not preyed on by other predators D - They do not have to hunt for food Copyright - The Rainforest Rangers 9

10 10.Jaguars can be described in terms of social activity as? A - group animals B - solitary C - sociable D - none of the above Answers 1. True 2. A 3. True 4. False 5. A / B / C / D 6. True 7. D 8. False 9. C 10. B Copyright - The Rainforest Rangers" 10