Diet
The jaguar is a
carnivore. It hunts mostly at night. Its prey includes capybara, peccaries, deer, large ground birds, fish, snakes, turtles, and rabbits. It also eats livestock like horses, cows, and sheep. The jaguar hunts mostly on the ground, but it sometimes climbs a tree and pounces on its prey from above. The jaguar has very powerful jaws and sharp teeth and usually kills its prey with one crushing bite to the skull.
Life Cycle
Jaguars mate year-round. About 100 days after mating the female has one to four kittens. She gives birth in a cave, den, or a thicket. The kittens are born with their eyes closed. At birth they have fuzzy spotted fur. The kittens begin to hunt when they are six months old. They stay with their mother for about two years. The jaguar has a lifespan of 15-20 years.
Behavior
The jaguar is a solitary animal and lives and hunts alone, except during mating season. The male's
home range is between 19 to 53 square miles. The female's home range is between 10 to 37 square miles. A male jaguar may share his home range with several females. He aggressively protects his home range from other males to ensure that any females in his territory mate only with him.
The Jaguar, unlike most big cats, loves the water. It often swims, bathes, and plays in streams and pools. It also hunts for fish in the water.
)
)
)
)
)