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Research Reveals Jaguar Secrets

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Wednesday 3rd June 2009

Recent research into the largest cat in the Americas has succeeded in revealing new information about the reproductive behaviour of this elusive big cat. Biologists studying the jaguar in Costa Rica have managed to use radio-tracking and camera traps to confirm that wild female jaguars give birth every 22 to 24 months, a figure that was previously unknown due to the difficulties in filming and tracking such a shy and secretive animal. It was also found that juvenile jaguars become independent after 18 to 24 months. Although jaguars have been bred in captivity, the exact details of their reproduction have rarely been documented and may not reflect the species behaviour in the wild, making the results of this study all the more valuable.

Once found across the Americas, habitat loss and hunting for pelts has sadly led to a decline in this iconic cat, which is now listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN. Studies such as this, which reveal how often wild jaguars give birth, how many cubs are born, and how many survive into adulthood, are vital in helping to protect the species, by allowing scientists to estimate how fast remaining jaguar populations might grow. The more that is known about threatened species such as the jaguar, the better able conservationists will be to develop strategies for their conservation.

In addition to the jaguar, a number of other New World cat species appear on the IUCN Red List, including:

Puma (Puma concolor)

With the greatest natural distribution of any terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere other than man, this large, powerful cat often comes into conflict with humans. Although still widespread, and listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, the puma is thought to be in decline, and has been exterminated from large areas of its historic range in North America.

Jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi)

image: Red and grey colour morph jaguarundis allogrooming

One of the most unusual of the New World cats, the jaguarundi has a wide distribution and is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. However, the species is now thought to be much less common than previously believed, and is undergoing a decline due to habitat loss and to persecution because of its habit of hunting domestic poultry.

Pampas cat(Leopardus colocolo)

This little-known small cat is threatened by habitat loss, as the pampas grassland of Argentina and Uruguay is increasingly converted into agricultural land and overgrazed by livestock. The pampas cat is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN, who recommend that more research into its ecology, distribution and threats is needed.

Andean cat (Leopardus jacobita)

Considered one of the most endangered wild cats in the world, and perhaps the rarest South American cat species, the Andean cat has only been observed in the wild a few times by scientists. It is considered Endangered by the IUCN, possibly as a result of a decrease in its chinchilla prey, although the exact causes of its decline remain unclear.

Kodkod (Leopardus guigna)

Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, this tiny cat has the smallest distribution of any cat in the Americas, being found only in Chile and Argentina. The kodkod is threatened by deforestation, as well as being persecuted as a predator of poultry, and more research is needed to better understand its biology and the threats it faces.

Visit MyARKive to view a selection of images and videos in the Threatened New World Cats scrapbook.

Further information

To find out more about jaguar research and conservation see:

Carillo, E., Saenz, J. and Fuller, T. (2009) Interbirth interval of a free-ranging jaguar. Mammalian Biology, In Press.
IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group: http://www.catsg.org/
Save the Jaguar: http://www.savethejaguar.com/
Jaguar Conservation Network: http://www.jaguarnetwork.org/

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