The Jaguar

Let's take a closer look at the jaguar's unique skill in hunting. The jaguar uses the deep-throat bite-and-suffocation technique typical among the Panthera genus. It has an unusually powerful bite compared to the other big cats. This allows it to pierce the shells of armoured reptiles such as tortoises and crocodiles. It bites directly through the skull of its prey between the ears and pierces the brain with its canine teeth.

Its short and stocky limb structure makes it skilful in climbing, crawling and swimming. The jaguar has a sturdy head and an extremely powerful jaw giving it the strongest bite of all cats. It can bite with a force of 8,900 N. This is twice the strength of a lion and the second strongest of all mammals.

Test Your Science

1. What other animals do you think belong to the Panthera genus?

Look up the Unique Skills of other animals in the Young Scientists Issue 112 Level 2.

The Jaguar

The Jaguar (Panthera Onca) is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus. It is the only Panthera species found in the Americas.It is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest and most powerful feline in the Western Hemisphere.

The jaguar is a near threatened species and its numbers are declining. Threats include habitat loss and fragmentation.

The jaguar is a compact and well-muscled animal. There are significant variations in size: weights are normally in the range of 56–96 kilograms.