Page 52 - Animals of the Wild April 2017(1)_Neat
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Jaguar comes from the Native American word “Yajuar” which means “he who kills with one leap”.
Jaguars are considered threatened. They are the third largest feline, after the lion and tiger.
The jaguar has a stocky body, short legs, a broad head and powerful jaws. Jaguars have yellow,
orange coats with dark spots (rosettes). The jaguar has spots inside the rosettes, where the leopard
has just rosettes with no spots inside. They have a layer of tissue in the back of their eye that reflects
light better and improves their sight. They are solitary animals. They mark their territory with urine
and tree scrapes. They communicate with roars, grunts and meows. Their peak of activity is from
dusk to dawn but they are also active during daytime.
Jaguars inhabit North, Central and South America. They live in forests, rainforests, swamps pampas
grasslands, mountain scrub areas but can also stay in desert areas but always close to water. Jaguars
are strong swimmers.
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