Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing jaguars. Sometimes confused with leopards due to their similar appearance of an orange or yellow body with black spots, these two big cats never come in contact with each other naturally. Jaguars range throughout the Americas, though are mostly confined to South America, while leopards live across the Atlantic Ocean throughout Africa and Asia. They can generally be told apart from each other because jaguars are stockier and their rosettes are wider with spots on the inside which aren’t present in leopards. Jaguars also often appear black in color with subtle spots just like leopards can. While they look similar, jaguars are described to fill an ecological niche closer to the tiger.

Jaguars historically had a larger range but human persecution for their fur as well as habitat destruction have pushed them into around 50% of their former range. They once lived as far north as Colorado in the United States. Today they may be seen in transient populations in the US but they’re generally considered extirpated from this part of their original home.

These big cats are often pictured in lush, dense forests, though they can also be found in open scrublands, swamps, coastal forests, and sometimes mountainous forests though they aren’t usually seen more than 1.6 miles (2700m) above sea level. Jaguars are the largest cats found in the Americas, though they are rivaled in size by cougars who may live in similar habitats.

It’s generally believed that cougars and jaguars don’t face too much competition between each other as cougars, or pumas, or mountain lions, wherever you want to call them, often take smaller prey items while jaguars take larger prey - though this can really depend on the season and prey availability. Jaguars eat a variety of animals and their strong jaws help them break through even the tough hides of caimans and turtles. Other prey to jaguars include deer, armadillos, fish, large birds, and many more. Jaguars stalk their prey and pounce on it giving a single bite around the base of the neck to deliver a final blow. They may take their meal up a tree, though often jaguars are described as mostly ground dwelling. Like tigers, they may also hop in water for a swim.

Jaguars are crepuscular meaning they’re most active during twilight hours. They’ll stay in densely vegetated areas during the heat of the day for shade and they’ve also been observed laying in water to cool off. These are solitary cats and only come together for breeding. They may mate year round though mating is highest during December to March leading to offspring born during the wet season and the highest abundance of food. Female jaguars raise their cubs on their own. The babies are born blind, one to four to a litter, and often in a safe, secluded den. They’ll nurse for up to six months and stick with their mother up to two years before setting off on their own. Jaguars only really face humans as threats, though cubs may be taken by larger predators. In the wild, jaguars live to be about 12 years old but can nearly double that age in captivity.

Thank you to our Patrons SpikeSpiegel93, Dad, and everyone else for their support of this channel! Thank you to Mr. Animalover, Jaylin, Snias, and Airplane Collectibles for today’s request! For more facts on jaguars, check out the links below. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today, and thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!