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Mexican Jaguar
- Length
- 7 feet; tail, 2 feet.
- Description
- A large leopard-like animal, tawny yellow above, white below, spotted with black along the back, and with black, light-centered rosettes on the sides, each with a central black dot. Tail ringed black and yellow.
- Range
- Lower Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico and Mexico, and represented by allied varieties in Central and South America.
This large cat, though common in Mexico, is of rare occurrence within the borders of our country, and like other species of Southern Texas, is only a straggler from farther south. Where plentiful, it preys on all sorts of animals, even overcoming the tapir with ease. Stories are told of its attacking Indians, but, as has been said, "truth and fiction" are so hopelessly mingled in such tales that it is best to withhold credence in most cases.