Misplaced Pages

#289710

71-513: The area is geographically diverse, consisting of grasslands bordering the Andes, gorges, and plains where climate is more variant and drier. The oxbow lake itself contributes areas of marsh and brushland. This is a nutrient-rich site, the soil consisting of silt and sand, and turnover along the riverbank occurs generally within 1000 years. The annual rainfall average is somewhat over 2000 mm, most of this falling from November to May. A marked dry season

142-476: A considerable population of epiphytes and terrestrial herbs . It is thought that this inequality may be due to either lack of intensive collection of these smaller flora, or due to scarce precipitation outside of the rainy season. Leguminosae (legumes) is the outstanding family of flora species makeup, with over 90 species. Moraceae , Rubiaceae , and Pteridophyta follow, with over 50 documented species each. Although no particular species of flora found at

213-480: A considerable variation in morphometry . The Panthera lineage is estimated to have genetically diverged from the common ancestor of the Felidae around 9.32 to 4.47 million years ago to 11.75 to 0.97 million years ago . Some genetic analyzes place the jaguar as a sister species to the lion with which it diverged 3.46 to 1.22 million years ago , but other studies place

284-507: A day-long boat ride up the Manú River to reach the station. Many flora and fauna are visible on the local boat ride. The many hazards of the Amazonian rainforest are well-publicized, including piranhas , anacondas , caimans , jaguars , pumas , peccaries , electric eels , stingrays , numerous poisonous snakes, insects, scorpions, spiders, plants, and other dangers. However, researchers at

355-453: A few thatched roofed buildings clustered in two small clearings, and a well-established network of trails into the forest. There are no dormitories or other forms of housing. All researchers, staff, and visitors must sleep in their own tents, on tent platforms, in the surrounding forest. Additionally, there are also no fixed plumbing systems. Toilets consist of a pair of pit latrines . Water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and washing clothes

426-418: A product of its role as an apex predator in several different environments. The ambush may include leaping into water after prey, as a jaguar is quite capable of carrying a large kill while swimming; its strength is such that carcasses as large as a heifer can be hauled up a tree to avoid flood levels. After killing prey, the jaguar will drag the carcass to a thicket or other secluded spot. It begins eating at

497-689: A variety of forested and open terrains, but its preferred habitat is tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest , wetlands and wooded regions. It is adept at swimming and is largely a solitary, opportunistic, stalk-and-ambush apex predator . As a keystone species , it plays an important role in stabilizing ecosystems and in regulating prey populations. The jaguar is threatened by habitat loss , habitat fragmentation , poaching for trade with its body parts and killings in human–wildlife conflict situations, particularly with ranchers in Central and South America . It has been listed as Near Threatened on

568-635: Is Calamus manan (or Calamus ornatus ) at exactly 240 meters (787'). Dr. Francis E. Putz states that lianas (species not indicated) have weighed "hundreds of tons" and been a half mile (0.8 km) in length. One way of distinguishing lianas from trees and shrubs is based on the stiffness , specifically, the Young's modulus of various parts of the stem. Trees and shrubs have young twigs and smaller branches which are quite flexible and older growth such as trunks and large branches which are stiffer. A liana often has stiff young growths and older, more flexible growth at

639-452: Is sexually dimorphic , with females typically being 10–20% smaller than males. The length from the nose to the base of the tail varies from 1.12 to 1.85 m (3 ft 8 in to 6 ft 1 in). The tail is 45 to 75 cm (18 to 30 in) long and the shortest of any big cat . Its muscular legs are shorter than the legs of other Panthera species with similar body weight. Size tends to increase from north to south. Jaguars in

710-622: Is a compact and muscular animal. It is the largest cat native to the Americas and the third largest in the world, exceeded in size only by the tiger and the lion. It stands 57 to 81 cm (22.4 to 31.9 in) tall at the shoulders. Its size and weight vary considerably depending on sex and region: weights in most regions are normally in the range of 56–96 kg (123–212 lb). Exceptionally big males have been recorded to weigh as much as 158 kg (348 lb). The smallest females from Middle America weigh about 36 kg (79 lb). It

781-402: Is an apex predator , meaning it is at the top of the food chain and is not preyed upon in the wild. The jaguar has also been termed a keystone species , as it is assumed that it controls the population levels of prey such as herbivorous and seed-eating mammals and thus maintains the structural integrity of forest systems. However, field work has shown this may be natural variability, and

SECTION 10

#1732855215290

852-842: Is considered to be locally extinct in El Salvador and Uruguay . Jaguars have been occasionally sighted in Arizona , New Mexico and Texas , with 62 accounts reported in the 20th century. Between 2012 and 2015, a male vagrant jaguar was recorded in 23 locations in the Santa Rita Mountains . Eight jaguars were photographed in the southwestern US between 1996 and 2024. The jaguar prefers dense forest and typically inhabits dry deciduous forests , tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests , rainforests and cloud forests in Central and South America; open, seasonally flooded wetlands , dry grassland and historically also oak forests in

923-508: Is from June to August. These factors combined lend to a relatively rapidly changing landscape. Those areas which lie outside the path of the Rio Manu's meandering edges have vegetation much older than those closer to the river, but due to common treefall, the forest canopy is low. Much of the forest is only 25–30 meters tall, with a number of trees extending outside this range at 50 meters tall or more. An extensive network of lianas extends across

994-416: Is in an area minimally impacted by humans, surrounded by millions of hectares of virgin forest , and thus provides critical insights into the organisms and processes found in a healthy, natural tropical rainforest . Over 500 articles, books, and other publications have resulted from field research conducted at Cocha Cashu. Studies related to those done at Cocha Cashu has been conducted at nearby Pakitza , on

1065-414: Is pumped by hand from the lake. The lake offers canoes and a kayak for researchers to use, and solar panels allow for electricity in the laboratory of the station. The Internet is available in hour long slots for four people at a time. Cocha Cashu is only accessible by boat or float plane . The nearest roads reach the towns of Shintuya and Atalaya, two days away by boat. Flights to Boca Manú still require

1136-437: Is the biggest cat species in the Americas and the third largest in the world. Its distinctively marked coat features pale yellow to tan colored fur covered by spots that transition to rosettes on the sides, although a melanistic black coat appears in some individuals. The jaguar's powerful bite allows it to pierce the carapaces of turtles and tortoises , and to employ an unusual killing method: it bites directly through

1207-633: The Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve on the Pacific coast of central Mexico weighed around 50 kg (110 lb). Jaguars in Venezuela and Brazil are much larger, with average weights of about 95 kg (209 lb) in males and of about 56–78 kg (123–172 lb) in females. The jaguar's coat ranges from pale yellow to tan or reddish-yellow, with a whitish underside and covered in black spots. The spots and their shapes vary: on

1278-470: The IUCN Red List since 2002. The wild population is thought to have declined since the late 1990s. Priority areas for jaguar conservation comprise 51 Jaguar Conservation Units (JCUs), defined as large areas inhabited by at least 50 breeding jaguars. The JCUs are located in 36 geographic regions ranging from Mexico to Argentina. The jaguar has featured prominently in the mythology of indigenous peoples of

1349-553: The Pantanal are largely active by day, whereas jaguars in the Atlantic Forest are primarily active by night. The activity pattern of the jaguar coincides with the activity of its main prey species. Jaguars are good swimmers and play and hunt in the water, possibly more than tigers. They have been recorded moving between islands and the shore. Jaguars are also good at climbing trees but do so less often than cougars. The adult jaguar

1420-738: The Pantanal to 53.6 km (20.7 sq mi) in the Amazon to 233.5 km (90.2 sq mi) in the Atlantic Forest . Male jaguar home ranges vary from 25 km (9.7 sq mi) in the Pantanal to 180.3 km (69.6 sq mi) in the Amazon to 591.4 km (228.3 sq mi) in the Atlantic Forest and 807.4 km (311.7 sq mi) in the Cerrado . Studies employing GPS telemetry in 2003 and 2004 found densities of only six to seven jaguars per 100 km (62 mi) in

1491-459: The canine tip of 887.0 Newton and a bite force quotient at the canine tip of 118.6. A 100 kg (220 lb) jaguar can bite with a force of 4.939 kN (1,110 lbf) with the canine teeth and 6.922 kN (1,556 lbf) at the carnassial notch. Melanistic jaguars are also known as black panthers . The black morph is less common than the spotted one. Black jaguars have been documented in Central and South America. Melanism in

SECTION 20

#1732855215290

1562-500: The canopy in search of direct sunlight. The word liana does not refer to a taxonomic grouping, but rather a habit of plant growth – much like tree or shrub . It comes from standard French liane , itself from an Antilles French dialect word meaning to sheave . Lianas are characteristic of tropical moist broadleaf forests (especially seasonal forests ), but may be found in temperate rainforests and temperate deciduous forests. There are also temperate lianas, for example

1633-528: The gene flow between jaguar populations in Colombia was high in the past. Since 2017, the jaguar is considered to be a monotypic taxon , though the modern Panthera onca onca is still distinguished from two fossil subspecies, Panthera onca augusta and Panthera onca mesembrina . However, the 2024 study suggested that the validity of subspecific assignments on both P. o. augusta and P. o. mesembrina remains unresolved, since both fossil and living jaguars show

1704-503: The yellow-footed tortoise . It employs an unusual killing method: it bites mammalian prey directly through the skull between the ears to deliver a fatal bite to the brain. It kills capybara by piercing its canine teeth through the temporal bones of its skull, breaking its zygomatic arch and mandible and penetrating its brain, often through the ears. It has been hypothesized to be an adaptation to cracking open turtle shells; armored reptiles may have formed an abundant prey base for

1775-532: The 19th and 20th centuries, several jaguar type specimens formed the basis for descriptions of subspecies . In 1939, Reginald Innes Pocock recognized eight subspecies based on the geographic origins and skull morphology of these specimens. Pocock did not have access to sufficient zoological specimens to critically evaluate their subspecific status but expressed doubt about the status of several. Later consideration of his work suggested only three subspecies should be recognized. The description of P. o. palustris

1846-710: The Americas , including those of the Aztec and Maya civilizations . The word "jaguar" is possibly derived from the Tupi-Guarani word yaguara meaning 'wild beast that overcomes its prey at a bound'. In North America, the word is pronounced disyllabic / ˈ dʒ æ ɡ w ɑːr / , while in British English, it is pronounced with three syllables / ˈ dʒ æ ɡ juː ər / . Because that word also applies to other animals, indigenous peoples in Guyana call it jaguareté , with

1917-480: The Brazilian Pantanal is recorded to primarily feed on aquatic reptiles and fish. The jaguar also preys on livestock in cattle ranching areas where wild prey is scarce. The daily food requirement of a captive jaguar weighing 34 kg (75 lb) was estimated at 1.4 kg (3.1 lb) of meat. The jaguar's bite force allows it to pierce the carapaces of the yellow-spotted Amazon river turtle and

1988-454: The Manu site was considered endemic to the area in 1990, it was suggested that the rate of forest loss might soon have created endemism. Annual production of seeds and fruit is high and well supports the site's animal communities. It has been considered that this may be in some significant part due to the prevalence of strangler figs, which make up a high proportion of the taller trees embedded within

2059-625: The Pantanal region, compared with 10 to 11 using traditional methods; this suggests the widely used sampling methods may inflate the actual numbers of individuals in a sampling area. Fights between males occur but are rare, and avoidance behavior has been observed in the wild. In one wetland population with degraded territorial boundaries and more social proximity, adults of the same sex are more tolerant of each other and engage in more friendly and co-operative interactions. The jaguar roars /grunts for long-distance communication; intensive bouts of counter-calling between individuals have been observed in

2130-754: The United States was in the Tehachapi Mountains of California prior to 1860. The jaguar persisted in California until about 1860. The last confirmed jaguar in Texas was shot in 1948, 4.8 km (3 miles) southeast of Kingsville, Texas . In Arizona, a female was shot in the White Mountains in 1963. By the late 1960s, the jaguar was thought to have been extirpated in the United States. Arizona outlawed jaguar hunting in 1969, but by then no females remained, and over

2201-510: The United States. It has been recorded at elevations up to 3,800 m (12,500 ft) but avoids montane forests . It favors riverine habitat and swamps with dense vegetation cover. In the Mayan forests of Mexico and Guatemala, 11 GPS-collared jaguars preferred undisturbed dense habitat away from roads; females avoided even areas with low levels of human activity, whereas males appeared less disturbed by human population density. A young male jaguar

Cocha Cashu Biological Station - Misplaced Pages Continue

2272-476: The added sufix eté , meaning "true beast". "Onca" is derived from the Portuguese name onça for a spotted cat that is larger than a lynx ; cf. ounce . The word "panther" is derived from classical Latin panthēra , itself from the ancient Greek πάνθηρ ( pánthēr ). In 1758, Carl Linnaeus described the jaguar in his work Systema Naturae and gave it the scientific name Felis onca . In

2343-429: The age of about 2.5 years. Estrus lasts 7–15 days with an estrus cycle of 41.8 to 52.6 days. During estrus, she exhibits increased restlessness with rolling and prolonged vocalizations. She is an induced ovulator but can also ovulate spontaneously. Gestation lasts 91 to 111 days. The male is sexually mature at the age of three to four years. His mean ejaculate volume is 8.6±1.3 ml. Generation length of

2414-473: The base of the stem. Some families and genera containing liana species include: List of Longest Vines Jaguars   Former range The jaguar ( Panthera onca ) is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus Panthera that is native to the Americas . With a body length of up to 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) and a weight of up to 158 kg (348 lb), it

2485-626: The canopy, and the presence of root buttresses did not appear to affect whether the individual was susceptible to toppling due to these gusts. The Cocha Cashu Biological Station was established in the 1960s by German researchers studying black caiman . Because it is within Manú National Park, the station is officially owned and regulated by INRENA , Peru's National Natural Resources Institute. The station has been operated by John Terborgh , an environmental science professor at Duke University , since 1973. The remote, rustic station consists of

2556-450: The canopy. While the uncovering of the bird community dynamics of this area of the Amazon lagged behind other Amazonian sections, Cocha Cashu is considered a center of avian endemism (as identified by Haffer in 1985). Mist-net sampling of the bird populations at the site began in 1973, and by 1990, data on 435 regularly occurring species had been collected. Insectivorous species dominate overall with 163 species, though many of these appear in

2627-516: The close relationship between P. gombaszoegensis (which is primarily known from Europe) and the modern jaguar. The oldest fossils of modern jaguars ( P. onca ) have been found in North America dating between 850,000-820,000 years ago. Results of mitochondrial DNA analysis of 37 jaguars indicate that current populations evolved between 510,000 and 280,000 years ago in northern South America and subsequently recolonized North and Central America after

2698-523: The connections made by the lianas may cause many other trees to fall. Because of these negative effects, trees which remain free of lianas are at an advantage; some species have evolved characteristics which help them avoid or shed lianas. Some lianas attain to great length, such as Bauhinia sp. in Surinam which has grown as long as 600 meters (2000'). Hawkins has accepted a length of 1.5 km (1 mile) for an Entada phaseoloides . The longest monocot liana

2769-618: The dispersal of mycorrhizal fungi , an important plant mutualist partner, in lowland Peruvian wet forest. The discussion of this study suggests the results may be applied generally to Neotropical areas. An intense storm event in 1994 in Cocha Cashu's locale prompted study of the effects of such storms on tropical forests. This particular event had been the most severe recorded within the 15 years prior. Wind knocked down 40 recorded trees, not counting those that had been felled by nearby treefall. These tended to be individuals that were emergent over

2840-790: The extinction of jaguars there during the Late Pleistocene . Two extinct subspecies of jaguar are recognized in the fossil record: the North American P. o. augusta and South American P. o. mesembrina . Felinae [REDACTED] Lion ( P. leo ) [REDACTED] Jaguar [REDACTED] Leopard ( P. pardus ) [REDACTED] Tiger ( P. tigris ) [REDACTED] Snow leopard ( P. uncia ) [REDACTED] Neofelis [REDACTED] Felinae [REDACTED] Lion [REDACTED] Leopard [REDACTED] Snow leopard [REDACTED] Jaguar [REDACTED] Tiger [REDACTED] Neofelis [REDACTED] The jaguar

2911-466: The influx of humans and technology. This is particularly relevant when studying jaguars , tapirs , ocelots , capybaras , giant otters , spider monkeys , woolly monkeys , and peccaries , as these populations have been highly hunted elsewhere. While fairly comprehensive lists of mammalian diversity at Cocha Cashu exist, most are over ten years old and may not be in line with current conditions. As of 1990, 70 nonflying mammal species had been recorded at

Cocha Cashu Biological Station - Misplaced Pages Continue

2982-467: The jaguar following the late Pleistocene extinctions . However, this is disputed, as even in areas where jaguars prey on reptiles, they are still taken relatively infrequently compared to mammals in spite of their greater abundance. Between October 2001 and April 2004, 10 jaguars were monitored in the southern Pantanal. In the dry season from April to September, they killed prey at intervals ranging from one to seven days; and ranging from one to 16 days in

3053-723: The jaguar in human-altered landscapes. The jaguar is an obligate carnivore and depends solely on flesh for its nutrient requirements. An analysis of 53 studies documenting the diet of the jaguar revealed that its prey ranges in weight from 1 to 130 kg (2.2 to 286.6 lb); it prefers prey weighing 45–85 kg (99–187 lb), with the capybara and the giant anteater being the most selected. When available, it also preys on marsh deer , southern tamandua , collared peccary and black agouti . In floodplains, jaguars opportunistically take reptiles such as turtles and caimans . Consumption of reptiles appears to be more frequent in jaguars than in other big cats. One remote population in

3124-723: The jaguar is caused by deletions in the melanocortin 1 receptor gene and inherited through a dominant allele . Black jaguars occur at higher densities in tropical rainforest and are more active during the daytime. This suggests that melanism provides camouflage in dense vegetation with high illumination. In 2004, a camera trap in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains photographed the first documented black jaguar in Northern Mexico. Black jaguars were also photographed in Costa Rica's Alberto Manuel Brenes Biological Reserve , in

3195-619: The lion closer to the leopard. The lineage of the jaguar appears to have originated in Africa and spread to Eurasia 1.95–1.77 mya. The living jaguar species is often suggested to have descended from the Eurasian Panthera gombaszoegensis . The ancestor of the jaguar entered the American continent via Beringia , the land bridge that once spanned the Bering Strait , Some authors have disputed

3266-507: The members of the Clematis or Vitis (wild grape) genera. Lianas can form bridges amidst the forest canopy, providing arboreal animals, including ants and many other invertebrates, lizards, rodents, sloths, monkeys, and lemurs with paths across the forest. For example, in the Eastern tropical forests of Madagascar , many lemurs achieve higher mobility from the web of lianas draped amongst

3337-600: The mountains of the Cordillera de Talamanca , in Barbilla National Park and in eastern Panama . In 1999, the jaguar's historic range at the turn of the 20th century was estimated at 19,000,000 km (7,300,000 sq mi), stretching from the southern United States through Central America to southern Argentina. By the turn of the 21st century, its global range had decreased to about 8,750,000 km (3,380,000 sq mi), with most declines occurring in

3408-485: The neck and chest. The heart and lungs are consumed, followed by the shoulders. The jaguar is generally solitary except for females with cubs. In 1977, groups consisting of a male, female and cubs, and two females with two males were sighted several times in a study area in the Paraguay River valley. In some areas, males may form paired coalitions which together mark, defend and invade territories, find and mate with

3479-545: The next 25 years only two males were sighted and killed in the state. In 1996, a rancher and hunting guide from Douglas, Arizona came across a jaguar in the Peloncillo Mountains and became a researcher on jaguars, placing trail cameras, which recorded four more jaguars. The jaguar is mostly active at night and during twilight . However, jaguars living in densely forested regions of the Amazon Rainforest and

3550-506: The population increases may not be sustained. Thus, the keystone predator hypothesis is not accepted by all scientists. The jaguar is sympatric with the cougar . In central Mexico, both prey on white-tailed deer , which makes up 54% and 66% of jaguar and cougar's prey, respectively. In northern Mexico, the jaguar and the cougar share the same habitat, and their diet overlaps dependent on prey availability. Jaguars seemed to prefer deer and calves. In Mexico and Central America, neither of

3621-515: The probability of dying. Lianas are uniquely adapted to living in such forests as they use the host tree, for stability, to reach to top of the canopy. Lianas directly damage hosts by mechanical abrasion and strangulation, render hosts more susceptible to ice and wind damage, and increase the probability that the host tree falls. Lianas also provide support for weaker trees when strong winds blow by laterally anchoring them to stronger trees. However, they may be destructive in that when one tree falls,

SECTION 50

#1732855215290

3692-399: The same bank of Rio Manu, 21 km ESE. The two areas are very similar in makeup, reside at nearly the same elevation, and are not disconnected to impede species movement. The Rio Manu area, in 1990, was found to consist of 1,856 species of vegetation, in comparison to the 2,874 species found in the entire national park. Much of the forest is dominated by trees and shrubs, rather than having

3763-511: The same females and search for and share prey. A radio-collared female moved in a home range of 25–38 km (9.7–14.7 sq mi), which partly overlapped with another female. The home range of the male in this study area overlapped with several females. The jaguar uses scrape marks, urine, and feces to mark its territory . The size of home ranges depends on the level of deforestation and human population density. The home ranges of females vary from 15.3 km (5.9 sq mi) in

3834-544: The sides, they become rosettes which may include one or several dots. The spots on the head and neck are generally solid, as are those on the tail where they may merge to form bands near the end and create a black tip. They are elongated on the middle of the back, often connecting to create a median stripe, and blotchy on the belly. These patterns serve as camouflage in areas with dense vegetation and patchy shadows. Jaguars living in forests are often darker and considerably smaller than those living in open areas, possibly due to

3905-441: The site, the majority of these being fruit-pulp eaters. Rodents were the most common category of mammals, with 24 species. Primates consisted of 13 species, carnivores of 12 species, and marsupials of 8 species. Together, these four groups made up over 80% of total identified species. Members of the family Felidae were found in surprising abundance, compared to other Neotropical sites. The effect of tree gaps, an important factor in

3976-635: The skull of mammalian prey between the ears to deliver a fatal blow to the brain. The modern jaguar's ancestors probably entered the Americas from Eurasia during the Early Pleistocene via the land bridge that once spanned the Bering Strait . Today, the jaguar's range extends from the Southwestern United States across Mexico and much of Central America , the Amazon rainforest and south to Paraguay and northern Argentina . It inhabits

4047-440: The smaller numbers of large, herbivorous prey in forest areas. The jaguar closely resembles the leopard but is generally more robust, with stockier limbs and a more square head. The rosettes on a jaguar's coat are larger, darker, fewer in number and have thicker lines, with a small spot in the middle. It has powerful jaws with the third-highest bite force of all felids, after the tiger and the lion. It has an average bite force at

4118-473: The southern United States, northern Mexico, northern Brazil, and southern Argentina. Its present range extends from Mexico through Central America to South America comprising Belize , Guatemala , Honduras , Nicaragua , Costa Rica , particularly on the Osa Peninsula , Panama , Colombia , Venezuela , Guyana , Suriname , French Guiana , Ecuador , Peru , Bolivia , Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina . It

4189-436: The species observed were found outside of protected areas. These results stress the importance of national protection to the conservation of species diversity. Cocha Cashu's large mammal communities, due to being within a protected park, have not felt the effects of hunting which have damaged other Neotropical communities. This makes Manu a good place to study how tropical species communities may have looked and functioned before

4260-401: The station have interacted closely with the plants and animals of the rainforest for decades with very few negative encounters. One notable exception occurred on April 27, 2000, when Francis J. Bossuyt disappeared while bathing in the lake at night. He has never been found, and presumed dead, perhaps killed by a caiman or anaconda. In the years since, a memorial in his name was established at

4331-484: The station, and more researchers and other visitors have chosen to use buckets or pumped water to bathe instead. The station also implemented a no bathing at night rule to prevent future tragedies. 11°54′S 71°22′W  /  11.900°S 71.367°W  / -11.900; -71.367 Liana A liana is a long- stemmed woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to

SECTION 60

#1732855215290

4402-412: The study of tropical ecology, was studied at Cocha Cashu in reference to small mammals (rodents). No difference was found in the fruit feeding habits of either species studied between gap and understory areas, but were found to consume more fruit in the rainy season, when fruit was more abundant, than in the dry season. Another paper based in the area proposes that these rodents are important assistants to

4473-464: The two cats are considered to be the dominant predator. In South America, the jaguar is larger than the cougar and tends to take larger prey, usually over 22 kg (49 lb). The cougar's prey usually weighs between 2 and 22 kg (4 and 49 lb), which is thought to be the reason for its smaller size. This situation may be advantageous to the cougar. Its broader prey niche, including its ability to take smaller prey, may give it an advantage over

4544-478: The understory. Birds with a near-exclusive fruit diet numbered 58, occurring most often in canopies along with omnivores. Common species include hummingbirds , manakins , and trumpeters . Initial studies at Cocha Cashu centered on the black caiman ( Melanosuchus niger ), and thus this is the only species of herpetofauna thoroughly studied (as of 1990). It is thought, however, that the makeup herp communities might be very similar in Manu to that of other areas along

4615-581: The understory. Patches of bamboo, totaling almost a third of the locality, are marked by a scarcity of trees. Along with La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica and Barro Colorado Island (BCI) managed by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama , Cocha Cashu is one of the best-studied ecological sites in the tropics . However, unlike La Selva or BCI, Cocha Cashu

4686-538: The vertical tree species. Many lemurs prefer trees with lianas because of their roots. Lianas do not derive nutrients directly from trees but live on and derive nutrients at the expense of trees. Specifically, they greatly reduce tree growth and tree reproduction, greatly increase tree mortality, prevent tree seedlings from establishing, alter the course of regeneration in forests, and ultimately decrease tree population growth rates. For example, forests without lianas grow 150% more fruit; trees with lianas have twice

4757-413: The western Amazon Basin. Even with only the limited studies done on herpetofauna here, there appears to be a high diversity of species. In 2008, a study was conducted on amphibians at nine sites near Madre de Dios , one of these being Cocha Cashu. Results of this research found that 78 of the 114 species (68%) studied were found around the station, a nationally recognized protected area, while only 7.9% of

4828-469: The wet season from October to March. The jaguar uses a stalk-and-ambush strategy when hunting rather than chasing prey. The cat will slowly walk down forest paths, listening for and stalking prey before rushing or ambushing. The jaguar attacks from cover and usually from a target's blind spot with a quick pounce; the species' ambushing abilities are considered nearly peerless in the animal kingdom by both indigenous people and field researchers and are probably

4899-435: The wild. This vocalization is described as "hoarse" with five or six guttural notes. Chuffing is produced by individuals when greeting, during courting , or by a mother comforting her cubs. This sound is described as low intensity snorts, possibly intended to signal tranquility and passivity. Cubs have been recorded bleating, gurgling and mewing. In captivity, the female jaguar is recorded to reach sexual maturity at

4970-590: Was also recorded in the semi-arid Sierra de San Carlos at a waterhole. In the 19th century, the jaguar was still sighted at the North Platte River 48–80 km (30–50 miles) north of Longs Peak in Colorado , in coastal Louisiana , northern Arizona and New Mexico. Multiple verified zoological reports of the jaguar are known in California, two as far north as Monterey in 1814 and 1826. The only record of an active jaguar den with breeding adults and kittens in

5041-565: Was based on a fossil skull. By 2005, nine subspecies were considered to be valid taxa: Reginald Innes Pocock placed the jaguar in the genus Panthera and observed that it shares several morphological features with the leopard ( P. pardus ). He, therefore, concluded that they are most closely related to each other. Results of morphological and genetic research indicate a clinal north–south variation between populations, but no evidence for subspecific differentiation. DNA analysis of 84 jaguar samples from South America revealed that

#289710