JAGUAR

Description:

Most jaguars are tan or orange with distinctive black spots, dubbed "rosettes" because they are shaped like roses. Some jaguars are so dark they appear to be spotless, though their markings can be seen on closer inspection. Average life span in the wild: 12 to 15 years Size: Head and body, 5 to 6 ft (1.5 to 1.8 m); tail, 27.5 to 36 in (70 to 91 cm) Weight: 100 to 250 lbs (45 to 113 kg)

Habitat:

Rain forests, marshes, dense forests, tend to follow rivers They once roamed from the southern tip of that continent north to the region surrounding the U.S.-Mexico border. Today significant numbers of jaguars are found only in remote regions of South and Central America—particularly in the Amazon basin.

Notes:

Was taken at The Louisville Zoo