I really love a big cat. They’re majestic, intimidating, and beyond gorgeous. Their paws are large and strong, and their eyes are stormy. Not to mention their long whiskers and uppity strides. Seriously, their beauty is out of this world. Jaguars (Panthera onca) are right at the top of my list, and I’d like to share some interesting facts with you.
1. Jaguars Are the Biggest Cats in the Americas
There are only two cat species that can properly outsize jaguars. That would be the king of the jungle and the ferocious tiger. But at 9 feet long and 220 to 350 lbs., they easily walk away with the title of biggest cats in the Americas. It’s a small win, but still a win. You can take the title from them as soon as lions or tigers enter their territory. But for now, think of the jaguar as the rightful king of the Americas.
2. Jaguars Have a Powerful Name
They may not be the biggest of all the big cats, but I think jaguars are nothing but power and beastliness. It’s not just their sharp teeth that say don’t even try to mess with me. Kings of the Americas, remember? Powerful cats should have powerful names, and the word jaguar is exactly that. It comes from the Tupi-Guarani (a native South American subfamily) word, yaguara or yaguareté. Jaguar actually means “true, fierce beast who kills in one leap.”
How’s that for powerful?
3. Jaguars Eat Almost Anything
I thought all apex predators enjoy steak for dinner every night. But apparently I was wrong.
Jaguars eat more than 85 different animal species. Read that again. 85 different animal species! That includes everything from rodents and reptiles to capybaras. You won’t find a vegan jag snacking on leaves or plants anytime soon. They need meat and they need it every day, unlike some of the other big cats. They can devour 2.6 to 3.3 lbs. of protein every single day. And the longer they go without food, the more vicious they become and the bigger their next meal.
4. Jaguars Have a Powerful Bite Force
To munch on 85 different animal species, you need a strong bite. And it just so happens that jaguars are one of the animals with the strongest bite. When I say their jaws are exceptionally powerful, you can believe me. They have a bite force of 1,500 PSI. At first, that’s just a number. But when you compare it to the measly 162 PSI of the average human, you’ll realize why that’s more than a bite and a half. I think we should change the meaning of the word jaguar to ‘true, fierce beast who kills with one bite.’
5. Jaguar Are Extra Spotty
Jaguars aren’t one of the lesser known wild cat species, like the ocelot or the serval. Yet we still confuse them with other big cats. Don’t ask me why, but we even mislabeled black jaguars. Is it that hard to spot a jaguar? Are they not popular big cats?
Jaguar patterns remind me of abstract flower paintings. The kind you’d make if you used wet paint blotches to create flower art. Or those dark images you’ll find in a psychiatrist’s office. Know what I mean? Their prints are special for two reasons. Firstly, no two jaguars have the same spots – not even cubs from the same litter. Secondly, their spots have their own spots. If you ever come close enough to a jaguar, you’ll notice that the circles on them are rosettes composed of bigger spots with a couple of tiny dots in them.
6. Jaguars Don’t Hate Water
Jaguars don’t always act like big cats. It’s like they’re so tired of being compared to their cousins that they’re just trying to do things as differently as “jaguarly” possible. Take their unexplainable love of water.
Jaguars really adore spending time in water. Seriously, they spend most of their time in the closest water source. You’d think they use lakes and rivers as a way to cool down, which they do. But they also like to scan the underwater menu. Just imagine how many slow (and delish) animals they can find under there. Think of anything from sloths to otters. And yes, you can bet on it that jags are just as fast under water as they’re on land!
7. Jaguars Mate 100x Per day
I thought I could confidently say I know everything about these specimens. But wow, this one was new to me.
Breeding time is a very exhausting time for jaguars. And rightfully so. Could you imagine having to mate up to 100 times per day? Year round? For up to 20 days? Then, the male finds the next lady, while momma needs to raise the cubs. Fortunately, they only have to do this until they have about 8 to 12 cubs. It still sounds rough, but they give birth to 2 to 4 at a time.
8. Jaguars Cubs Can Be Black
Out of those 8 to 12 cubs, there’s a possibility that 1 (or maybe even 2) can be black. Remember when I said we gave black jaguars new names? Black ‘panthers’ are actually just black jaguars! They can be leopards too, but panther comes from the big cat genus, Panthera, and people just took it and rolled with it.
But why are they black, and why are black panthers so rare? In leopards, it’s caused by a recessive allele, but jaguars get their dark color from a dominant allele. They’re pretty rare because only about 11% of jaguars and leopards are born black. If you look closely, you’ll see their spotty spots are still there. But not too close – they’re still big cats!
