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A Jaguar Doesn't Mind Getting Its Feet Wet—Or Its Whole Body!

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A Jaguar Doesn't Mind Getting Its Feet Wet—Or Its Whole Body! water waterA jaguar doesn’t mind getting its feet wet—or Cat its whole body! Cat By the time it’s six months old, a jaguar cub can do the “kitty paddle.” by Kathy Kranking nlike most cats, a jaguar (JAG- Jaguars live in forests, about a jaguar is its beauti- above), but a leopard usually To learn about what fierce whar) is right at home in the water. swamps, grasslands, and oth- ful spotted coat. Those spots doesn’t (below right). hunters jaguars are, pounce It swims, plays, rests, and even er places in North, Central, are called rosettes, because Jaguars like to be alone and over to the next page. hunts there! Jaguars spend plenty and South America. They’re they’re shaped a little like stay out of sight. They will the biggest cats in the Ameri- roses. Leopards also have often hang out up in trees. In of time on land, too. But whenever they get U cas—and the third-biggest rosettes, but you can easily the dappled forest sunlight, the chance, they love to lounge in a river, in the world. (Only lions and tell a jaguar from a leopard. their black-and-gold coats stream, or swamp, just chilling out. tigers are larger.) A jaguar has smaller spots in- help the cats to blend in and The first thing you notice side most of its rosettes (see “disappear.” leopard rosettes 6 LUIZ CLAUDIO MARIGO/NPL/MINDEN PICTURES (6-7); SA TEAM/MINDEN PICTURES (6T) >; F. LUKASSECK/MASTERFILE (7B) > 7 WATCH It! 1 Here I come, caiman! Whoa—this is a BIG one! 2 Slowly, slowly I creep. Gotta be careful with this guy. 3 It’s trying to escape! My only chance is to grab its neck. On the hunt (left) until they get close, and of a turtle, one of their favorite even alligator-like reptiles called Jaguars are a triple threat: then make a surprise attack. meals. And they aren’t picky caimans (KAY-menz)! They can hunt from trees, on While other cats kill prey eaters at all—they’ve been After making a catch, a jag- land, or in the water. Though with a bite to the throat, a known to eat more than 80 dif- uar often carries its prey away they can run pretty fast, they jaguar usually bites an animal’s ferent kinds of animals, includ- to a private spot to eat it. Then don’t depend on speed for skull or back of the neck. Jag- ing fish, birds, deer, anteaters, it cleans itself up, just as any hunting. Instead, they stalk prey uars have really strong jaws— monkeys, snakes, frogs, arma- house cat would (right)! strong enough to crush the shell dillos, iguanas, tortoises, and SUZI ESZTERHAS (8L, 9R <); JEFF FOOTT (1-4) 4 Gotcha! One hard bite, and it’s time for lunch! 8 9 Some jaguars look like they are solid black. But they’re actually black with black spots. Scientists have been studying ways to help jaguars. Many of the places where jaguars This looks like a vicious cat live are wildlife preserves. But fight, but it’s really just a mom these big cats often travel great playing with her cub. distances outside the preserves, which means they cross roads, farms, and other areas that JuniOr Jaguars until they are about two years Born weighing less than aren’t safe for them. Scientists There’s only one time jaguars old. Then they go off to live on two pounds, this cub thought it would be a good idea may grow to be more like to be around other jaguars, their own. than 200 pounds! to make the pathways where and that’s when it’s time to the jaguars travel into protected mate. But after mating, a male trOubles fOr Jaguars areas, as well. and female go their separate Unfortunately, jaguars have It’s a promising plan, but a ways again. their problems. In the last 100 hard one to get done. The path- About three months later, the years, more than half of their ways cross through many differ- female gives birth in a den, usu- habitat has been turned into ent countries. But so far, a lot of ally to two cubs but sometimes farms and ranches. For years, those countries have agreed to to as many as four. At first, the jaguars were killed for their work together to protect jaguars. cubs spend all their time in the beautiful coats. And ranchers Scientists think this idea is the den. But when they’re about six often kill jaguars because they best way to give these beautiful months old, they begin to follow sometimes attack their cattle. cats a bright future. = their mom around. They even Now the big cats may be in dan- This jaguar chills out before swim in the water with her. ger of becoming extinct. heading off to hunt. Jaguars are usually most active at EDWIN GIESBERS/NPL/MINDEN PICTURES (10T) >; SA TEAM/MINDEN PICTURES (10B) >; SUZI ESZTERHAS (11L) <; The cubs stay with their mom But there is good news, too. dawn and dusk. ROLAND SEITRE (11TR) > 10 11.
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