Wild Animals of North America: Intimate Studies of Big and Little Creatures of the Mammal Kingdom — John Shaqi
Wild Animals of North America: Intimate Studies of Big and Little Creatures of the Mammal KingdomNelson, Edward William
Science
Wild Animals of North America: Intimate Studies of Big and Little Creatures of the Mammal Kingdom
Nelson, Edward William
Mammals -- North America
The mountain lion often kills calves, but is especially fond of young
horses. In many range districts of the Western States and on the
table-land of Mexico, owing to the depredations of this animal, it
is impossible to raise horses. Unfortunately the predatory habits of
this splendid cat are such that it can not continue to occupy the same
territory as civilized man and so is destined to disappear before him.
=JAGUAR= (=Felis hernandesi= and its subspecies)
The jaguar, or “el tigre,” as it is generally known throughout
Spanish America, is the largest and handsomest of American cats. Its
size and deep yellow color, profusely marked with black spots and
rosettes, give it a close resemblance to the African leopard. It is,
however, a heavier and more powerful animal. In parts of the dense
tropical forests of South America coal-black jaguars occur, and while
representing merely a color phase, they are popularly supposed to be
much fiercer than the ordinary animal.
Jaguars are characteristic animals of the tropics in both Americas,
frequenting alike the low jungle of arid parts as well as the great
forests of the humid regions. In addition, they range south into
Argentina and north into the southwestern United States. Although less
numerous within our borders than formerly, they still occur as rare
visitants as far north as middle Texas, middle New Mexico, and northern
Arizona. They are so strictly nocturnal that their presence in our
territory is usually not suspected until, after depredations on stock
usually attributed to mountain lions, a trap or poison is put out and
reveals a jaguar as the offender. Several have been killed in this way
within our border during the last ten years, including one not far from
the tourist hotel at the Grand Canyon of Arizona.
Although so large and powerful, the jaguar has none of the truculent
ferocity of the African leopard. During the years I spent in its
country, mainly in the open, I made careful inquiry without hearing
of a single case where one had attacked human beings. So far as I
could learn, it has practically the same shy and cowardly nature as
the mountain lion. Despite this, the natives throughout its tropical
home have a great fear of “el tigre,” as I saw evidenced repeatedly
in Mexico. Apparently this fear is based wholly on its strength and
potential ability to harm man if it so desired.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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