Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 140 / Tuesday, July 22, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 39147 Dated: July 16, 1997. Western Hemisphere. Jaguars are at 4. Studies have documented few wild Joseph E. Doddridge, muscular cats with relatively short, jaguars more than 11 years old. Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish massive limbs and a deep-chested body. The list of prey taken by jaguars and Wildlife and Parks. They are cinnamon±buff in color with range-wide includes more than 85 [FR Doc. 97±19209 Filed 7±21±97; 8:45 am] many black spots; melanistic forms are species (Seymour 1989), such as BILLING CODE 4310±55±C also known, primarily from the southern peccaries (javelina), capybaras, pacas, part of the range. Its range in North armadillos, caimans, turtles, and various America includes Mexico and portions birds and fish. Javelina and deer are DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR of the southwestern United States (Hall presumably mainstays in the diet of 1981). A number of jaguar records are jaguars in the United States and Mexico Fish and Wildlife Service known from Arizona, New Mexico, and borderlands. Texas. Additional reports exist for Jaguars are known from a variety of 50 CFR Part 17 California and Louisiana. Records of the habitats (Nowak 1991, Seymour 1989). RIN 1018±AC61 jaguar in Arizona and New Mexico have They show a high affinity to lowland been attributed to the subspecies wet habitats, typically swampy Endangered and Threatened Wildlife Panthera onca arizonensis. The type savannas or tropical rain forests. and Plants; Final Rule To Extend specimen of this subspecies was However, they also occur, or once did, Endangered Status for the Jaguar in collected in Navajo County, Arizona, in in upland habitats in warmer regions of the United States 1924 (Goldman 1932). Nelson and North and South America. Goldman (1933) described the Within the United States, jaguars have AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, been recorded most commonly from Interior. distribution of this subspecies as the mountainous parts of eastern Arizona Arizona, but there are also records from ACTION: Final rule. north to the Grand Canyon, the southern California, New Mexico, and Texas, and SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service half of western New Mexico, reports from Louisiana. Currently there (Service) extends endangered status to northeastern Sonora, and, formerly, is no known resident population of the jaguar (Panthera onca) throughout southeastern California. The records for jaguars in the United States, though they its range under the authority of the Texas have been attributed to Panthera still occur in northern Mexico. Endangered Species Act of 1973, as onca veraecrucis. Nelson and Goldman Arizona amended. With this rule, the jaguar is (1933) described the distribution of this Goldman (1932) believed the jaguar now also listed as endangered in the subspecies as the Gulf slope of eastern was a regular, but not abundant, United States, as well as in Mexico and and southeastern Mexico from the coast resident in southeastern Arizona. Central and South America. In the region of Tabasco, north through Vera Hoffmeister (1986) considered the jaguar United States, a primary threat to this Cruz and Tamaulipas, to central Texas. an uncommon resident species in species is illegal shooting. A minimum Swank and Teer (1989) indicate that Arizona. He concluded that the reports of 64 jaguars were killed in Arizona the historical range of the jaguar of jaguars between 1885 and 1965 since 1900. The most recent individual includes portions of the States of indicated that a small but resident killed in Arizona was in 1986. Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Loss and modification of the jaguar's Louisiana. These authors consider the population once occurred in habitat are likely to have contributed to current range to occur from central southeastern Arizona. Brown (1983) its decline. While only a few Mexico through Central America and suggested that the jaguar in Arizona individuals are known to survive in the into South America as far as northern ranged widely throughout a variety of United States (Arizona and New Argentina. They state that the United habitats from Sonoran desert scrub Mexico), the presence of the species in States no longer contains established upward through subalpine conifer the United States is believed to be breeding populations, which probably forest. Most of the records were from dependent on the status of the jaguar in disappeared in the 1960's. They also Madrean evergreen-woodland, shrub- northern Mexico. Documented maintain that the jaguar prefers a warm, invaded semidesert grassland, and along observations are as recent as 1996. tropical climate, is usually associated rivers (Girmandonk 1994). Critical habitat was found to not be with water, and is only rarely found in The most recent records of a jaguar in prudent and therefore is not being extensive arid areas. the United States are from the New designated. Brown (1983) presented an analysis Mexico/Arizona border area and in suggesting there was a resident breeding southcentral Arizona, both in 1996, and DATES: Effective August 21, 1997. population of jaguars in the confirmed through photographs. In ADDRESSES: The complete file for this southwestern United States at least into 1971, a jaguar was taken east of Nogales, rule is available for inspection, by the 20th century. The Service (U.S. Fish Arizona, and, in 1986, one was taken appointment, during normal business and Wildlife Service 1990) recognizes from the Dos Cabezas Mountains in hours at the Fish and Wildlife Service, that the jaguar continues to occur in the Arizona. The latter individual Arizona Ecological Services Field American Southwest, at least as an reportedly had been in the area for Office, 2321 West Royal Palm Road, occasional wanderer from Mexico. about a year before it was killed (Ron Suite 103, Phoenix, Arizona 85021. The life history of the jaguar has been Nowak, Fish and Wildlife Service, pers. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sam summarized by Nowak (1991) and comm., 1992). Spiller, Field Supervisor, Arizona Seymour (1989), among others. Jaguars The Arizona Game and Fish Ecological Services Field Office (see breed year-round range-wide, but at the Department (1988) cited two recent ADDRESSES section) (telephone 602/640± southern and northern ends of their reports of jaguars in Arizona. The 2720; facsimile 602/640±2730). range there is evidence for a spring individuals were considered to be SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: breeding season. Gestation is about 100 transients from Mexico. One of the days; litters range from one to four cubs reports was from 1987 from an Background (usually two). Cubs remain with their undisclosed location. The other report The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the mother for nearly 2 years. Females begin was from 1988, when tracks were largest species of cat native to the sexual activity at 3 years of age, males observed for several days prior to the 39148 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 140 / Tuesday, July 22, 1997 / Rules and Regulations treeing of a jaguar by hounds in the suggested that jaguars probably the Sierra Bacatete near Guaymas, Altar Valley, Pima County. continued to wander from Mexico into Sonora. An unconfirmed report of a jaguar at the brush country of the southernmost Brown (1989) reported that biologists the Coronado National Memorial was part of the State. However, brush from Mexico have stated that at least made in 1991 (Ed Lopez, Coronado clearing has possibly reduced chances two jaguars have been killed in National Memorial, pers. comm., 1992). for reestablishment of the species in Chihuahua. In 1987, Nowak (pers. In 1993, an unconfirmed sighting of a Texas. comm., 1992) claimed that jaguars were jaguar was reported for Buenos Aires Mexico. Leopold (1959) believed the still regularly present along the Soto la National Wildlife Refuge (William distribution of the jaguar in Mexico Marina River of central Tamaulipas, Kuvlesky, Fish and Wildlife Service, in included the tropical forests of which is about 150 miles from the litt., 1993). The following are historical southeastern Mexico, the coastal plains southern tip of Texas. He also accounts of jaguar occurrence: to the mouth of the Rio Grande on the hypothesized that jaguars may be California. Merriam (1919) Gulf of Mexico side, and the Sonoran entering Arizona from Mexico due to summarized several accounts of jaguars, foothills of the Sierra Madre Occidental habitat destruction in Sonora. Large from various locations in California, on the Pacific side. The highest stretches of natural forest were cleared which were obtained from documents densities of jaguars were found along in central Tamaulipas. In Arizona, by published between 1814 and 1860. heavily forested flatlands and foothills contrast, jaguar prey populations have Strong (1926) provided evidence the of southern Sinaloa, the swamps of increased, and large tracts of brush and Cahuilla Indians of the Coachella Valley coastal Nayarit, the remaining uncut canyon woodland are still available to and San Jacinto and Santa Rosa forests along the Gulf coast as far east as provide cover for jaguars. Mountains of southern California were central Campeche, and the great rain Previous Federal Actions familiar with the jaguar. Nowak (1975) forests of northern Chiapas. He Prior to this final rule, the jaguar was mentioned reports of jaguars in the indicated that occasional wandering Tehachapi Mountains from 1855, and listed as endangered from the United individuals were found far from these States and Mexico border southward to the last known individual from areas and that some had followed California which was killed near Palm include Mexico and Central and South tropical gorges far into the mountains. Springs in 1860 (Strong 1926). Nowak America (37 FR 6476, March 30, 1972; He believed that jaguars had traveled up speculated the animal may have been a 50 CFR 17.11, August 20, 1994). The the Brazos, Pecos, Rio Grande, Gila, and breeding individual.