Natural History Family of Museums
Our family has three members!
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (Exposition Park)
Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits (Mid-Wilshire) View more >
William S. Hart Museum (Newhall) View more >
Recreating Nature Indoors
Ever wonder who made the dioramas in our mammal halls? Read all about the artists who created these wonderful scenes. Learn more >
The Making of a Diorama
The Habitat Views video considers ways of looking at dioramas today, and documents the creation of several new displays. Take a look over on our YouTube Channel >
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Jaguar
Panthera onca (Linnaeus, 1758)
Scene:
Peloncillo Mountains, South eastern ArizonaBackground artist:
Robert Russell ReidJaguars are solitary. Male and female interact only during mating and the female raises her young alone. Jaguars may have a territory as small as three miles in diameter but may roam up to 200 square miles in search of food. Jaguars run swiftly but tire quickly. They climb trees well and are proficient swimmers.
Jaguars were revered in many indigenous American cultures. For the Maya, the jaguar was the God of the Underworld.
Biological Information
Range:
Central America and coastal Mexico
Habitat:
Evergreen tropical forests but formerly subtropical dry forests and desert scrub
Status:
Endangered
Diet:
From tapirs to turtles but concentrating on the larger mammalian species in their home range
Further information about this species may be found on the Animal Diversity Web page for jaguar.