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The jaguar is the most beautiful and respected wild cat. There are nine subspecies of the jaguar, belonging to the panthera family. The jaguar is the third largest of the wild cats, following closely behind the lion and tiger species.

In ancient times they were found living primarily in North and South America in unpopulated areas. Today these beautiful, powerful wild cats can be found roaming in more populated areas of Mexico, Southern California, Arizona, Texas and Nevada.

~ Physical Appearance ~

The jaguar ranges in length form six to nine feet, from the tip of the nose to the end of their tail. An adult males average weight is between 125 to 275 pounds. The adult females length and weight is slightly less than the males. The jaguar has a slim, muscular body, powerful jaw, sharp claws and scissor like teeth. The cat sports a beautiful tan, black spotted coat which is easily recognizable.

~ Habitat ~

The jaguar is not picky about where it lives they can be found in the mountains, grasslands, rainforests, wooded areas and swamps. They also love the water and can be found frolicking, fishing, swimming, bathing and sunning them self in rivers and streams.

~ Diet ~

The jaguar will eat just about anything that doesn't eat it first. Its meal preference is fish, frogs, snakes, monkeys, deer, sloth's, anteaters, aardvarks, deer and even crocodiles.

The jaguar is a powerful animal that can take down another animal that is bigger than its self, it is an excellent hunter and stalks its prey for hours. If necessary it will even climb a tree to gain more leverage in an attack and jump on its prey surprising it. It kills it one bite, by crushing the preys skull with its powerful jaws.

~ Mating and Reproduction ~

Jaguars have a territory within their habitats. The male jaguar's territory is between 20 and 50 miles. A female's territory is much smaller between 10 and 30 miles.

Mating occurs year round while jaguars are solitude cats the males do share their territory with the females they mate with, often with as many as a dozen of them. This keeps the females from mating with other males. As male jaguars have a mutual understanding and respect for one another's territory.

In the event a jaguar wanders into the territory of another adult males, the adult territorial male will become very aggressive and let out a loud deep roar to warn his females of the intruder.

The gestation period is 95 to 105 days and the female gives birth to as many as five kittens per litter. The kittens stay with their mother until they are close to two years old. At that time the males will leave and establish their own territory and the females may or may not stay in the territory they were born in.

~ Endangered ~

The jaguar is an endangered species in the United States as of 2006 there were only 95 of them in the US and another 292 in the world. There are sanctuaries and breeding habitats being used to keep this beautiful wild cat around a while longer. The average life span in the wild is only 10 years and in captivity it is 20 years.

~ The legends of the Jaguar ~

The jaguar has been seen as a predator, escort and even a playmate for children over the last several centuries. Each country has a urban legend of sorts to go along with this cat.

In Mexico, the people believe that jaguars act as a herder for the cattle and will snatch the "straggling" cow for their meal.

In the Amazon the tribes told stories of how the jaguar would emerge from the jungle and "play" with the local children. Never causing them any harm only bringing them joy that a very large kitten could. They would return to the waiting children in a specific spot several times a week.

In South American the legend is that the jaguars did not prey upon lost hunters, but simply escorted them out of the area to safety.

The most amazing legend of the jaguar comes from the Mayan civilization. They believed that the "jaguar was the God of the underworld, and helped the sun to travel under earth at night, ensuring its new rising every morning."

There is no doubt that the jaguar is one of the world's most amazing and beautiful wild cats.

Learn more about this author, Tammy L Mahan.
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