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(08-09-2020, 05:59 PM)Balam Wrote: Since we're discussing sizes, what do you guys make of these controversial weights quoted in the scientific literature for jaguars hunted in los Llanos?
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The reports come from second-hand sources, but if they are accurate, my thoughts are that the 180 kg specimen was probably full-bellied, but even then, if we were to remove 12 kg of weight, we're still left with a 168 kg animal, which I don't think it's entirely impossible for historic Llanos specimens. Los Llanos had for centuries hundreds of years thousands of feral cattle with no control living in the area before they were recaptured in mass in the 1800s from the 1400s, there's at least 4 centuries where jaguars had an unlimited amount of cattle supply and it wouldn't surprise if some of them reached the prehistoric sizes that we have spoken about before due to the large biomass of prey available.
I think the 159 kg male could be possibly real because of 3 things, first the Los Llanos ( in perfect conditions ) got massive jaguars which rivals Pantanal jaguar, the second reason is that giving that one EMPTY Pantanal male jaguar named Lopez weighed 148 kg, and third counting that Shaka empty weighed 118 kg and full bellied weighed 131.4 kg....
There are very good possibilities of the 159 kg male being real.
about the 180 kg male ...... they're gonna need to give me more proof than that
The 159 kg weight is very plausible for me since Siemel's heaviest jaguar weighed 158 kg in the Pantanal, thus leading me to believe that the all-time heaviest jaguars are at around or surpassing 160 kg in weight, a 168 kg jaguar would fit in that range but it would definitely be an outlier. I doubt we'll ever get clarification on these weights since they're so old. Maybe if I can get in touch with Hoogesteijn again I could ask for clarification.