Abstract
FOR more than a year, the Gardens of the Zoological Society of London could show no specimen of the jaguar. It is welcome news, therefore, that two fine adults have just been purchased by the Society. The jaguar, the largest of the New World Felidse, seems now to be by no means common in its native wilds, which range from Texas to Patagonia. To the general public, this animal is of interest on account of its handsome coloration, which appeals even more intensively to the naturalist, who will once more be enabled to make comparisons with the leopard and other spotted cats. For this particular pattern is among them presented in many forms more or less closely correlated with their mode of life. In both leopard and jaguar this pattern takes the form of more or less complete rings of black on a tawny background. With the jaguar a central spot of black is generally present in the centre of the ring. Thus a series of ‘rosettes' is formed running in longitudinal lines, forming a ‘concealing coloration’ in very diverse surroundings; for both leopard and jaguar are great tree-climbers. This is specially true of the jaguar, which makes its way among the great branches in a series of prodigious bounds in pursuit of monkeys. On the ground, owing to its large size, it is enabled to prey upon animals as large as th© tapir, and in times of scarcity on cattle and horses. It displays a marked preference for the neighbourhood of water, where it battens on that giant rodent the capybara, varying its menu with turtles and their eggs, alligators, and fish. Unfortunately, this animal rarely breeds in captivity; but transferred to Whipsnade, they might be induced to do so.
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Jaguars at the London Zoo. Nature 137, 181 (1936). https://doi.org/10.1038/137181a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/137181a0