PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Though the jaguar once lived in portions of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, today it lives almost exclusively in Central and South America.
A handful of jaguars have recently been sighted in Arizona.
The jaguar is listed as endangered in the United States and near threatened on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
Leading threats include competition for resources, habitat alteration and hunting.
Dense, tropical forests with plenty of cover keep the jaguar hidden and allow the big cat to move around relatively unseen.
The jaguar is an excellent swimmer and its habitat is usually near water.
The female jaguar requires up to 12 square miles of territory for herself, and the male may require up to two times that.
The jaguar is a carnivore. Its varied diet consists of 85 different species of prey from large (deer and pigs) to small (fish and mice).
The cat can survive in a circular area of about three miles in diameter where food is plentiful. Where food is scarce, it may need to cover an area of 200 square miles.
The jaguar is a carnivore.
Threats include competition for resources, habitat alteration and hunting.
A jaguar's bite is twice as strong as a lion and it can crush heavy bones in large prey easily.
The term "jaguar" comes from the Native American word "yaguar", which means "he who kills with one leap."
Young cubs are born blind and helpless. They stay with their mother for about two years learning to hunt.
