Jaguar
Jaguar
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| ジャガー | |||
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| Romaji | Jagā
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| Debut | Kemono Friends (2015 Game) | ||
| Animal Data | |||
| Scientific Name | Panthera onca
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| Distribution | Central and South America
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| Diet | Carnivore
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| Avg. Lifespan | 11 to 12 years
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| Read More | Jaguar
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| Conservation | 
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| Jaguar | Anime | Season 2 | Festival (Costume) | Pavilion (Gen 2) | KF3 (V2) | Kingdom | Nexon Game | Gallery |
The Jaguar is a type of Friend that has made appearances in the Kemono Friends anime and the original mobile game.
Appearance
Jaguar is a moderate-height Friend with a golden blonde, bob-styled haircut, with side bangs reaching down to her shoulders and concealing her humanoid ears; a small cowlick rests at the very top of her head. Her fringe is adorned with two black tasks above six smaller ones, creating a shape akin to a face. These markings also appear on the back of her head. Her almond-shaped eyes sport gold irises with tinge of green highlighting. Reminiscent of her original animal species, Jaguar has rounded, golden-furred cat ears, tipped with black and white markings, on the top of her head. Likewise, she has a jaguar's tail, golden with black spots and a black tip.
Her outfit is composed of a white blouse with a black ribbon and a short golden-yellow skirt patterned with black rosettes akin to a jaguar's pelt. Around her neck is worn a scarf composed of a white fur ruff connected to black-spotted yellow scarf tails; on her arms and legs respectively, she dons rosette-patterned, matching arm-length gloves and over-the-knee socks which cover her legs up to around her mid-thigh. Lastly, she wears white shoes with black ribbons decorating them.
Series Appearances
| Media | Role | First Appearance | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Nexon Game | ↪ Minor character, playable | |
| 2017 | Kemono Friends (2017 Anime) | ↪ Minor character | S1E02: Jungle Area |
| 2017 | Kemono Friends: Comic À La Carte | Minor character | Page 132 |
| 2018 | Kemono Friends Pavilion | ↪ Minor character with multiple observable versions | |
| 2018 | Kemono Friends Picross | Playable puzzle | |
| 2019 | Kemono Friends 3 | ↪ Minor character, playable | |
| 2022 | Kemono Friends Kingdom | ↪ Minor character, playable | |
Minor Appearances
Kemono Friends Picross
Jaguar appears in a puzzle of Kemono Friends Picross wherein the player can obtain a picture of the Friend by solving a puzzle.
In Real Life
The jaguar is one of South and Central America's largest mammals, and the only native extant big cat (genus Panthera) in either region. They once roamed from the southern tip of Argentina all the way north to what is now the U.S.-Mexico border; today, their range is much more constricted. The jaguar is a capable and adaptable species which makes its home in a wide variety of habitats, including deciduous forests, rainforests, swamps, pampas grasslands and mountain scrub areas. Unlike many other cats, jaguars do not avoid water; in fact, not only are they adept swimmers, but their lifestyle often depends on being near water. Lakes, rivers and marshes provide the jaguar with abundant prey in the form of capybara, fish, turtles, and even such dangerous game as pythons and caimans should the opportunity present itself. Strictly and prolifically carnivorous, the jaguar can and does take a wide variety of prey; over 85 species have been reported in the diets of these big cats.
While they sometimes dispatch prey with a direct bite to the throat, resulting in suffocation—a common tactic for members of Panthera—the jaguar is perhaps better known for employing another, more unique killing method: a powerful bite to the back of the skull, strong enough to pierce thick reptilian skin and turtle carapaces. The jaguar hunts mostly on the ground or in the water, but on occasion may pounce on its prey from the vantage of a tree; they do so relatively rarely, and this behavior should not be confused with that of the leopards of the Old World, which frequently hunt in this way. The jaguar is an apex predator, resting at the top of the food web; given their size and dominance, no other wild animals are known to consider adult jaguars as prey.
Jaguars are typically crespucular in nature, being most active near dusk and dawn, although they may be active at any time of the day. They tend to rest mid-morning and afternoon, taking refuge in deep shade, thick vegetation, or under the cover of caves or large rocks. They may also rest near river banks, and may be forced to rest in trees during flood seasons; at these times, they are also known to drag prey up trees lest their meal be ruined by floodwaters.
Once found throughout the South American continent, the jaguar has been hunted extensively by humans in past centuries, primarily for their fur; this has led to drastic declines in jaguar population numbers across their ancestral lands. In response, the jaguar is given full protection at the national level across most of its range, with hunting being highly prohibited. Habitat fragmentation due to human expansion is also a major threat, as jaguars—like other big cats—require vast amounts of territory. Taxonomic research has suggested that the reduction in available jaguar habitat has led to reduced genetic diversity among jaguar populations, and thus several NGOs have worked with governments, local communities, and one another to drive an ambitious program seeking the conservation of a north-to-south network of jaguar habitats, from Mexico to Argentina: the Jaguar Corridor Initiative.
Trivia
- While dangerous if provoked, jaguars tend to be shy and avoid human interaction, as they do not have the need to hunt humans; the risk typically outweighs any possible reward.
- Jaguars are typically seen as an important cultural and religious symbol for ancient civilizations throughout Latin America, denoting strength and power.
- The iconic rosettes dotting the jaguar's coat aid them in seamlessly blending into the jungle undergrowth, imitating and utilizing the dappled light and shadows cast by sunlight filtering through the jungle canopy. This camouflage allows them to remain highly concealed, enabling them to more effectively ambush prey.
References
1. "Panthera onca". Animal Diversity Web.
2. "Jaguar". A-Z-animals.
3. "Basic Facts About Jaguars". Defenders.
4. "Panthera onca". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
5. "Jaguar Expert Answers Your Questions ". Panthera.org
6. "Panthera's Jaguar Program". Panthera.org. Accessed November 14, 2024.
7. "Restoring the jaguar corridor". WWF. Accessed November 14, 2024.