Interciencia ISSN: 0378-1844
[email protected] Asociación Interciencia Venezuela Jedrzejewski, Wlodzimierz; Abarca, María; Viloria, Ángel; Cerda, Hugo; Lew, Daniel; Takiff, Howard; Abadía, Edgar; Velozo, Pablo; Schmidt, Krzysztof Jaguar conservation in Venezuela against the backdrop of current knowledge on its biology and evolution Interciencia, vol. 36, núm. 12, diciembre, 2011, pp. 954-956 Asociación Interciencia Caracas, Venezuela Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=33921507014 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative JAGUar coNservatION IN VENEZUela AGAINst the Backdrop OF CUrreNT KNowledGE ON Its BIoloGY AND evolUTION WlodZIMIerZ JedrZejewskI, MarÍA ABarca, ÁNGel VIlorIA, HUGO Cerda, DANIel Lew, Howard TakIFF, ÉDGar ABadÍa, PABLO VeloZO and KRZysZTOF SchmIdt SUMMARY Current knowledge is reviewed on the jaguar Panthera onca makes it a notorious livestock predator. Conflicts caused by jag- evolution, morphological, genetic and ecological variation, as uar predation on cattle are the main reason for killing them, al- a background for understanding conservation problems. Based though they are also hunted for skins, despite legal protection. on published sources and own data, the current situation of the Another threat is deforestation. Jaguar population in Venezuela jaguar in Venezuela is analyzed. Body size of today’s jaguars has decreased substantially during the last 30-40 years, and is is highly variable; the largest are found in the Brazilian Panta- currently variable: in northern Venezuela isolated and declining nal and Venezuelan Llanos (mean male body mass >100kg).