The jaguar is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus. The
jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the
largest in the Western Hemisphere. Apart from a known and possibly breeding
population in Arizona, the cat has largely been extirpated from the United
States since the early 20th century.
This spotted cat most closely resembles the leopard
physically, although it is usually larger and of sturdier build and its
behavioral and habitat characteristics are closer to those of the tiger. While
dense rainforest is its preferred habitat, the jaguar will range across a
variety of forested and open terrain. It is strongly associated with the
presence of water and is notable, along with the tiger, as a feline that enjoys
swimming. The jaguar is largely a solitary, opportunistic, stalk-and-ambush
predator at the top of the food chain. It is a keystone species, playing an
important role in stabilizing ecosystems and regulating the populations of the
animals it hunts. The jaguar has an exceptionally powerful bite, even relative
to the other big cats. This allows it to pierce the shells of armoured reptiles
and to employ an unusual killing method: it bites directly through the skull of
prey between the ears to deliver a fatal bite to the brain.
The jaguar is a near threatened species and its numbers are
declining. Threats include habitat loss and fragmentation. Although reduced,
its range remains large; given its historical distribution, the jaguar has
featured prominently in the mythology of numerous indigenous American cultures,
including that of the Maya and Aztec.
Like all cats, the jaguar is an obligate carnivore, feeding
only on meat. It is an opportunistic hunter and its diet encompasses 87
species. The jaguar prefers large prey. However, the cat will eat any small
species that can be caught. Some jaguars will also take domestic livestock,
including adult cattle and horses.
While the jaguar employs the deep-throat
bite-and-suffocation technique typical among Panthera, it prefers a killing
method unique amongst cats: it pierces directly through the temporal bones of
the skull between the ears of prey with its canine teeth, piercing the brain.
This may be an adaptation to "cracking open" turtle shells; following
the late Pleistocene extinctions, armoured reptiles such as turtles would have
formed an abundant prey base for the jaguar. The skull bite is employed with mammals
in particular; with reptiles such as caiman, the jaguar may leap on to the back
of the prey and sever the cervical vertebrae, immobilizing the target. While
capable of cracking turtle shells, the jaguar may simply reach into the shell
and scoop out the flesh. With prey such as smaller dogs, a paw swipe to the
skull may be sufficient in killing it.
1. Choose the word that is most nearly the SAME in meaning to
the word “extirpated” as used in the passage.
1)
Stabilized
2)
Sustained
3)
Multiplied
4)
Exterminated
2. Choose the word that is most OPPOSITE to the word
“indigenous” as used in the passage.
1)
Native
2)
Natural
3)
Foreign
4)
Endemic
3. The jaguar has a key role in the food chain. This can be
ascertained because:
1)
Its diet encompasses 87 species.
2)
The jaguar has an exceptionally powerful bite.
3)
It is an opportunistic hunter.
4)
It stabilizes the ecosystem.
4. Why is the jaguar an “obligate carnivore”?
1)
Because it is an opportunistic hunter
2)
Because it prefers large prey.
3)
Because it feeds only on meat.
4)
Because it has featured prominently in the Maya
and Aztec mythology.
5. Which of the following is/are true in the context of the
passage?
The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and
the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere.
The jaguar is largely a solitary, opportunistic,
stalk-and-ambush predator.
The jaguar prefers carnivorous prey. However, the cat will
eat any herbivorous meal that can be easily found.
1)
Only I
2)
Only I and II
3)
Only II and III
4)
All of the above
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