The genus Panthera is a Latin word derived from the Greek panther, meaning a panther or leopard. The names panther and leopard are synonymous. The epithet onca is derived from a deformation of the Latin word linx, which means lynx. The Greeks were familiar with a moderately sized feline that they called linx. The Romans took that word and transformed it into lonza. Later, the word passed into French as lonce. Then the initial letter “l” was lost and replaced by an article, leading the word to become once. This word then passed into Spanish as onca (Tirira, 2004).
Order: Carnivora | Family: Felidae
Scientific name: Panthera onca
Common name: Jaguar, tigre
Conservation status: Near threatened (NT)
Best season for jaguar: January to march
Description
The jaguar is the largest feline in the Americas. It has a large, robust head with big eyes. The ears are small and rounded. The canines are long and very strong. Its body appears strong and sturdy. The color of the dorsal fur varies from pale gold to rusty red and features a series of dark circular markings in the form of rosettes that surround one or more small black spots. A row of black spots runs along the middle of the back, sometimes merging into a continuous line. The ears are white on the front and black on the back and at the tips. The ventral region, neck, and chin are white with dense black spots. The tail is marked with black spots and has several rings or, in some cases, bands at the tip. In this species, the melanistic form is not rare; in these individuals, the spots are barely visible, and the fur is completely black (Sunquist and Sunquist, 2009). The rosettes are analogous to fingerprints, as each jaguar has a unique pattern of rosettes in its fur that identifies each animal.
Habitat
Distribution
The jaguar is distributed from Mexico throughout Central America, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay (Sunquist and Sunquist, 2009). In Colombia, it can be found along the coast, in the Amazon, and in the savannas of the eastern plains.
