Amanda Radner- Jaguar

Amanda Radner

Fall 2016

The Jaguar 

Panthera onca

Jaguar Lounging in a Tree

Description and Ecology

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of a jaguar? For me, it was their uniquely spotted coat. But jaguars are significant for much more than the beautiful black rosettes on their tan coats.

Jaguar

Jaguars have the strongest teeth and jaws of any American cat and they typically measure from about 5 to 8 feet. Jaguars generally breed year-round and cubs remain with their mother for 1.5 to 2 years. Their age range is about 10 to 15 years. The list of prey taken by jaguars includes more than 85 species (U.S. Fish and Wildlife).

Geographic and Population Changes

The Geographic Range of Jaguars

Threats to Jaguars

Jaguars once roamed from the southern tip of South America to the region surrounding the U.S.-Mexico border.  Today significant numbers of jaguars are found only in remote regions of the Amazon in South and Central America. (Jaguar)

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recovery Plan, abundance and population trends for the jaguar are still not well known in the Western Hemisphere, however, populations throughout their range continue to be at risk. Jaguars are known to be extirpated in 37 percent of their historical range (U.S. Fish and Wildlife).

Listing Date and Type of Listing

The species was originally listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Conservation Act (ESCA) in 1969. Under the ESCA, two separate lists of endangered wildlife were maintained, one for foreign species and one for the United States. The jaguar appeared only on the “List of Endangered Foreign Wildlife”. Endangered status was not extended to the jaguar in the U.S. until July 22, 1997 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife).

Cause of Listing and Main Threats to Continued Existence

The primary threats to the continued existence of the jaguar are habitat destruction and overexploitation.

Marcus Obal

The jaguar is classified as “Near Threatened” on the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation (IUCN) due to a number of factors, including habitat loss and fragmentation of populations across portions of the range. Loss, fragmentation, and modification of jaguar habitat have contributed to population declines throughout much of the species’ range, including northern Mexico. 

Although hunting for pelts has decreased, there is still demand for jaguar paws, teeth, and other products.  Additionally, illegal killing of jaguars due to conflicts with humans is a major threat to jaguars. Jaguars are often killed by ranchers as pest species.  Experts agree that one of the most severe causes of mortality is the direct hunting of jaguars, either because jaguars have caused some conflict by killing livestock or to sell the jaguar as a trophy. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife)

Description of Recovery Plan

The goal for the plan is to conserve and protect the jaguar and its habitat so that its long-term survival is secured and it can be considered for removal from the list of threatened and endangered species. 

The plan states that the management of listed species outside of U.S. borders are primarily the responsibility of the countries in which the species occurs, with the help, as appropriate, of assistance from the U.S. 
There are three key objectives to recover Jaguar populations:
1.     Restore habitat to support viable populations.
2.     Minimize the effects of human population growth and development in areas that affect jaguars
3.     Reduce direct human-caused mortality (illegal and legal killing) (U.S. Fish and Wildlife)

So you might be asking... What can I do to help the jaguar? 

Here are a few simple and easy ways to help:

Mike Flanagan

 1.    “Adopt” a Jaguar- Give a donation to a company that supports and works to defend jaguars and their habitats.  An example is: https://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/species-adoptions/jaguar.aspx  

2. Stay Informed- Organizations such as “Defenders of Wildlife” offer alerts to stay informed on issues affecting jaguars.   (https://secure.defenders.org/site/SPageServer/;jsessionid=3F455CE975C01BD6655DBD93C8D95EAA.app220a?pagename=act_signup) By staying up-to-date on news regarding jaguars and their habitats you will be able to take action to save these amazing cats when necessary! (Threats to Jaguars)

For even more information you can visit...

https://www.wcs.org/our-work/species/jaguars
http://www.worldlandtrust.org/education/species/save-the-jaguar


Works Cited

Jaguar Lounging in a Tree. Digital image. Sacred Ways Colorado. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2016. <http://www.sacredwaysco.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=33490383>.

"Jaguar." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 17 Nov. 2016. Web. 20 Nov. 2016. <http://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/j/jaguar/>.

Marcus Obal. A Jaguar Takes a Yawn at the Toronto Zoo. Digital image. A-Z. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2016. <http://a-z-animals.com/animals/jaguar/pictures/2150/>.

Mike Flanagan. 'Got Any Jaguars?' - 'Sorry, They're an Endangered Species.' Digital image. Cartoon Stock. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2016. <https://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/j/jaguar.asp>.

"Threats to Jaguars." Defenders of Wildlife. Defenders of Wildlife, 13 Dec. 2013. Web. 18 Nov. 2016. <http://www.defenders.org/jaguar/threats>.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "Recovery Outline for the Jaguar." (2012): 1-42. Web. 18 Nov. 2016. <http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/049777%20-%20Jaguar%20Recovery%20Outline%20-%20April%202012_2.pdf>.