International Jaguar Day (29th November)

 

International Jaguar Day is actually observed on 29th of November, so please excuse me for the delay in publishing this post. 

Jaguars (panthera onca), as we all know, are a part of the cat family. The jaguar is a large cat species found in Central and South America. It is the largest cat species in the Americas and the third largest in the world.

Jaguars have a distinctively marked coat with pale yellow to tan colored fur covered by spots that transition to rosettes on the sides. They are good swimmers and hunt fish, turtles and even caimans, as well as land animals like deer, peccaries and tapirs. The jaguar is virtually extinct in the northern part of its original range and survives in reduced numbers only in remote areas of Central and South America.

OTHER FACTS:

• Black jaguars are called black panthers.
• They have the strongest jaw structure of any feline.
• They can dive into water to catch prey.
• They have eyesight that is six times better than humans, in low-light conditions and at night.
• Unlike other felines, the jaguar starts at the neck and chest while eating prey.

JAGUAR VS LEOPARD

Telling the difference between jaguars and leopards can get confusing thanks to their (almost) matching signature spots. But these big cats are, in fact, two separate species, with territorial ranges in two distinct parts of the world. They also differ in several physical and behavioral characteristics.

From body size and spot shape to preferred hunting styles, discover the traits that set jaguars and leopards apart. Also, learn what types of threats they each face in their native habitats.

• Size: Jaguars can weigh between 80 and 350 pounds, while leopards are smaller at 37 to 198 pounds.
• Body Shape: Leopards are leaner than jaguars, who have blockier heads and stockier bodies.
• Habitat: Jaguars are the most aquatic of the two cats, with the ability to thrive in wetter habitats like forests and wetlands. Leopards are better climbers, so they tend to stay in open ranges with trees.
• Range: Leopards are found in Africa and some parts of Asia, while jaguars live only in Central and South America.
• Spots: Jaguar spots consist of rosettes with inner spots. Leopards have similar rosette patterns but with no inner spots.

Both jaguars and leopards belong to the genus Panthera, part of the big cat family, along with lions and tigers. The jaguar (or Panthera onca) consists of a single species. However, scientists previously described at least nine subspecies, starting in the 1700s.

These include the Arizona jaguar (Panthera onca arizonensis), the Central American jaguar (P. o. centralis), the Yucatan Peninsula jaguar (P. o. goldmani), the West Mexican jaguar (P. o. hernandesii), the East Brazilian jaguar (P. o. onca), South American jaguar (P. o. palustris), the Paraguay jaguar, (P. o. paraguensis), the Peruvian jaguar (P. o. peruviana), and the northeastern jaguar (P. o. veraecrucis). In 2017, biologists changed the taxonomy to classify jaguars as a single monotype species with no subspecies.

When it comes to leopards (Panthera pardus), there are nine currently-recognized subspecies: the Indochinese leopard (P. p. delacouri), the African leopard (P. p. pardus), the Arabian leopard (P. p. nimr), the Persian leopard (P. p. saxicolor), the Indian leopard (P. p. fusca), the Sri Lankan leopard (P. p. kotiya), the Amur leopard (P. p. orientalis), the Javan leopard (P. p. melas), and the North Chinese leopard (P. p. japonensis).

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is its own unique species, characterized by its thick, gray fur tinged with light yellow and native range in the Central and South Asia mountains. The term “black panther” is used to designate a jaguar or leopard that exhibits dark coloring called melanism. While these cats appear mostly black in color, their spots are still slightly visible in the right light.

Here's the quiz:

Quiz: World Jaguar Day - Google Forms