Size comparisons

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My conclusion from this latest discussion is, that Los Llanos and Pantanal jaguar populations are a close call, what comes to potential sizes of them. So it´s no surprise if at some point some study has given bigger mean weight for Los Llanos jaguars. Then again knowing how close call it is, it´s just logical to think, that when Pantanal jaguars have gotten better protection from humans lately and prey animal populations have been growing to abundant, that their average weights have grown too and more big individuals are able to live there.

When Cat Specialist group gives weight range for Jaguars 36-148 kg (I think, that it should be 158, but there is a typo) and Panthera.org gives 36-158 kg. That alone should ring a bell, if there is an older study giving maximum weight 140 kg. That obviously has been maximum weight at certain time known to Fonseca. If asked today, he could give a new answer based on latest reliable information, I am not sure from which year that 140 kg is?

Then when looking at this:
"Forexample, Hoogesteijn and Mondolfi(1996) found that floodplain jaguars were significantly larger [bodymass:Llanos = 104.5kg (males),
66.9kg (females) and Pantanal = 99.5kg (males), 76.7kg (females)]"

This information from year 1996(!) gives average weight difference for males 5 kg favoring Llanos, but 9,8 kg difference for females favoring Pantanal. Interesting results and actually rising up more questions maybe than giving answers. But catching these animals for weighing is always challenging, I think. @epaiva could maybe tell more about it because he is one of those people, who do field weighings to wild animals in Venezuela (and other countries too?). So he is, as far as I know, one of the best (if not the best) posters here to tell a bit more about challenges involving those situations.

Also we are lucky in it, that Hoogesteijn is still working with jaguars, and as some might have noticed, started his studies/work in Venezuela, where he has born. And is now working in Pantanal area. And is friend of @epaiva . So we could, if @epaiva dares to ask from him, get some update to his conclusions. Over 20 years is long time knowing how fast environment has changed in many places.

But what comes to Fontana and his claim about 140 kg as maximum, what is the source for that, could you share a link to it @Luipaard ? It would be interesting to see how new or old information that is.

And one last thing from me. When all skull measurements, which I have seen in this latest discussion have favored Pantanal jaguars even though slightly, my personal conclusion is that they most probably should be on average at least same as Llanos population in any similar circumstances. So knowing, that currently Pantanal jaguars have better environment to live in, it´s logical to think, that they should be nowadays bigger on average too.

It´s good to make a timeline, when trying to find out information. Study x 1996, study y 2002, article where valid biologist confirms new record weight 20??.... Then looking at changes in some areas during that time and thinking/finding information what kind of impacts those changes have had or have as we speak to wildlife. In that way it is possible to get quite good idea about it, what is going on. Reply