Modern Weights and Measurements of Jaguars

[Rishi]

(06-23-2020, 03:16 PM)Richardrli Wrote: What do you guys make of the theory that the large jaguars of the Pantanal and Llanos are so noticeably bigger than other jaguars populations because they feed on the easy prey of cattle in those areas? The point would be that prior to European colonization they were not so big as their natural prey (or indeed the natural prey of all post Pleistocene jaguars) are relatively small.

There is frankly no way to tell... Do jaguars from all of Pantanal/Llanos have access to livestocks?.. Or only the outliers?
Only way to say with some certainty is if any behavioural study was conducted on predation choice & prey size of jaguars of several regions. 

For example, tigers that live deep inside the reserves where they have negligible availability of livestock, tend to be larger instead. But that is because of natural-selection as the largest can afford to grab territories of their choice in the core area. While the smaller pushovers have to move outside towards the less desirable fringe forests. Although these are the ones that depend on cattle in those parts with fewer wild prey.

I trust in case of jaguars too, there would be way too many variables in every case that play varying roles in determining their size. Reply