Jaguar Fun Facts for Kids:

• # 1. Despite the fact that most jaguar cubs are generally born between the months of December and March, it is not uncommon for them to be born at other times of the year. During the mating season, the female Jaguar will use loud vocal calls to attract a male into her territory. Female jaguars typically give birth to two or three cubs.
• # 2. The majority of a jaguar’s hunting is done down on the ground, but they are also known to hunt for prey both in the water and from the trees, from where the it can easily ambush its prey often killing with one powerful bite. Medium sized mammals make up the majority of the jaguar’s diet including deer, capybara, peccaries and tapirs, which they stalk in silence through the dense jungle. When in the water, jaguars hunt turtles, fish and even small caiman when the opportunity presents itself.
• # 3. Due to the large size and dominant nature of the jaguar, there are no other wild animals that are known to actually consider it as prey. Once found throughout the South American continent, they have been hunted by humans mainly for their fur which has led to drastic declines in jaguar population numbers everywhere.
• # 4. Jaguars have the strongest bite force of all cats and like other ‘big’ cats they can roar (other cats cannot). The jaguar is undoubtedly a strikingly beautiful animal and has naturally caught the attention of both scientists and hunters alike, with many individuals sadly having been poached for their distinctively patterned fur. Although jaguars usually have yellowish colored fur, other colors are also known including black and white.
• # 5. The jaguar was once found from the tip of South America right up to and beyond, the Mexico-US border but hunting for their fur and habitat loss has led to drastic declines in population numbers. They are today very rarely seen in the USA and are considered endangered throughout much of their natural range, although the jaguar is listed by the IUCN Red List as an animal that is threatened in its surrounding environment. Although the exact population number is unknown, there are an estimated 15,000 jaguar individuals left roaming the rainforest today.