Rainforest Expeditions (est. 1989) operates three award winning Amazon lodges: Posada Amazonas, Refugio Amazonas, and Tambopata Research Center. Each Amazon lodge provides access to a unique set of ecotourism experiences in the jungle of southeastern Peru.
Our packages include activities comprised of aspects of nature and culture of the Amazon rainforest. We offer a variety of special interest activities, tours and expeditions like Soft Adventure, Birdwatching expeditions, Family and more...
Jaguar (Panthera onca)
Photo: Thomas Marent
Name: Jaguar
Local name: Jaguar, Otorongo, Tigre
Scientific name: Panthera onca
Characteristics:
1. Weight 150kg. Size up to 2m. Height 80cm. Although in Tambopata jaguars can weight up to 90 kgs.
2. Body with spots, big and heavy. It´s designed for strenght and not for speed.
3. Excellent sight and hearing. Binocular and colour vision.
4. Very strong, they can drag a prey of 200kg for more than 2km!
Habitat and behavior: Terrestrial top predator, solitary, nocturnal and diurnal. Prefers places near water. Primary forest and forest edge.
Diet: The jaguar is an opportunistic predator. It feeds on capybaras, deer, peccaries, turtles, caimans, birds, agoutis, fish, etc. In a study carried out in Tambopata a surprisingly considerable amount of monkey remains were found in jaguar feces. They drag their prey to woody areas.
Reproduction habits: Female jaguars give birth to 1 to 4 cubs of 700 to 900 grs weight. They will remain with its mother for 2 years. It reaches sexual maturity after 3 years.
Curiosities: The jaguar is the biggest cat of the Americas. There are albino variations, some individuals are dark brown or black colored, but spots are always visible under sunlight. This is the reason why some people call them “panthers”. They are active 60% of the day. Live up to 11 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity. The jaguar is a great swimmer. Its only predator is the human. There are some representations of jaguar deities in the cultures of Chavin, Mochica and Tiahuanaco. Only in the 60´s approximately 20,000 skins were legally exported to the USA. This diminished their population considerably, which in Tambopata, according to a current research project lead by the WWF, is healthy.
