Modern Weights and Measurements of Jaguars

[peter]

EPAIVA

Nice photograph! 

In museums, skulls usually have a number. Same for the one in the photograph below. It's on the mandibula: I-3702. Directly after the number, you see ♀. This means the skull belonged to a female (♀ = female and ♂ = male).

In 2012, I measured a lot of leopard skulls in the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart. Most of them belonged to leopards shot about a century ago in what is now Tanzania. Most female skulls were a tad longer (ranging between 170-200 mm. in greatest total length), but the canines in the female puma skull from Venezuela are more robust: 

*This image is copyright of its original author

This is a photograph of a puma killed by a jaguar with a skull bite. Found it on Carnivora Forum some time ago. No information on gender and location:  

*This image is copyright of its original author

In regions where they co-exist, jaguars usually are bigger and heavier than pumas. Based on greatest total skull length, I'd say the largest pumas live in the northwestern part of the US and in southwestern Canada. Patagonian pumas almost compare, but seem to have larger teeth.

Large pumas seem to be a bit longer than large leopards, but leopards usually have longer (up to 280 mm. in greatest total length or a bit over) and more robust skulls. Reply