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Possum vs. Opossum: Same animal?

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Possum vs. opossum? Aren’t they different spellings of the same word? Understanding the difference between possum and opossum is essential, as they are not the same animal

Many non-native English speakers struggle with telling the 2 species apart. This is mainly because the word “possum” is often used in American colloquial conversation as an abbreviation for “opossum.”

Despite the confusion, they’re very different animals.

Paso Pacifico will take you through the finer details between these two distinct species. We’ll also help you understand their behavioral and morphological differences, including their preferred habitats, so you’ll always know which animal you’re referring to.

Possum vs. Opossum: Why the Confusion?

Both belong to the marsupial family. They give birth to underdeveloped babies that they nourish in pouches containing teats until newborns can fend for themselves. 

Being active night creatures, they’re mostly nocturnal. However, they can be seen during the day if they experience food scarcity.

Additionally, both species are mainly tree-dwelling (arboreal) and even look alike to some extent. This explains why the two are often used interchangeably.

Possum vs. Opossum: Distinguishing Features 

While possums and opossums are not closely related, telling these fascinating creatures apart can seem challenging. But it doesn’t have to be as long as you understand their:

Taxonomic Order 

Opossums are from the order Didelphimorphia, which translates to “double-wombed” in Greek. They belong to the largest extant marsupials in the Western hemisphere, with over 17 genera and 87 species. 

The most common is the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana)—a cat-sized creature that is terrestrial and will eat just about anything.

In contrast, possums belong to Diprotodontia or “two forward teeth” in Greek. It is the most diverse order with approximately 155 species! Common varieties include the brushtail possum and ringtail possum.

Geographic Origins 

The opossum is primarily native to North America, particularly in the continental United States and south-eastern Canada. In Mesoamerica, opossums can be found in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.

Conversely, the possum is native to Australia. But you can also find them in China, New Guinea, New Zealand, Tasmania, Sulawesi, and other islands of Indonesia.

Spot the Difference

Here are 6 ways you can distinguish one marsupial from the other:

Fur

Possums have thick, fluffy reddish brown, dark brown, and warm grey hues. They can also sport golden colors thanks to a genetic mutation. In contrast, opossums have coarse fur that is usually grey.

Sizes 

Possums can weigh less than an ounce to over 20 pounds depending on the species. Their total lengths are between 23 and 47 inches. 

Opossums, on the other hand, weigh anywhere between 8.8 to 13.2 pounds. They measure about 29 inches from nose to tail. That’s almost the size of a raccoon, so you can stop associating them with rats.

Diets 

Possums are mostly herbivorous, enjoying a diet of leaves, herbs, sweet fruits, and even veggies. But some species (brushtail possums) don’t shy away from attacking bird eggs and small lizards. 

Meanwhile, opossums are omnivores. From fruits and plants to carrion (dead animals), insects, and small mammals like rats, they eat just about anything in their surroundings. This loner has also been known to hunt and feast on venomous snakes. Their impressive immune systems can neutralize the toxins.

Faces

Opossums have pointed faces with long, narrow snouts and sharp teeth while possums have rounded faces and shorter, less-pointed snouts.

Tails 

Possums have thick and furry tails resembling those of squirrels.

Opossums’ tails have no fur. They are so long that they account for almost one-third of their body length! They are versatile and practical appendages that can grasp, hold, and manipulate objects. They also anchor opossums to trees as they dangle from branches in search of food.

Habitats

Possums live in wooded areas. They create dens and nests in tree trunks, hollow branches and logs, and rock cavities and crevices. You can also find them in urban parks, gardens, tree-lined rivers, and creeks.

Opossums are more or less the same. They prefer brushy habitats in dry forests but willingly settle down anywhere as long as the place offers easy access to food and water. This includes everything from rainforests, prairies, and mangrove swamps to urban and suburban areas.

A Look at Their Behaviors

How many times have we heard the phrase “playing possum”? The term refers to “pretending to be dead, ignorant, asleep, etc, to deceive an opponent.” 

Because of the phrase’s popularity, you no doubt already have an idea of how possums protect themselves. When they feel threatened or are caught unaware, they involuntarily enter a catatonic state as a response to fear. This deceptive and life-saving behavior can last up to 4 hours! 

This gives the predator time to lose interest and move on to more accessible prey. If they’re desperate enough, they’ll attack the opossum, even if it emits a decaying smell. Though these animals rarely show aggression, they will bite when cornered.

In contrast, possums are docile and friendly towards humans. However, they will bare their teeth, hiss, and growl in the face of danger. 

Major Threats to Possums and Opossums

Possums are widely hunted and killed for meat and smooth fur.

While opossums keep to themselves and avoid human contact, they face certain threats. They’re considered furbearers in most states, with more than one million pelts harvested annually. The industry is valued at $2.5 million. 

When they fake death, they’re also at risk of being eaten by predators like coyotes and foxes. Combined with their small size, the behavior makes them susceptible to getting hit by cars.

This might explain why opossums only live up to 2 years in the wild, but in captivity, Virginia opossums can live as long as 10 years.

What To Do if You See a Possum or Opossum

The key thing to remember is to avoid handling possums and opossums with your bare hands.

While opossums are generally known to be all bark and no bite, 1 in 800 are affected by the rabies virus, which can be transmitted through bites and be fatal if symptoms manifest. 

They can also carry infectious diseases, including:

  • Chagas disease
  • Coccidiosis 
  • Leptospirosis
  • Relapsing fever
  • Salmonellosis
  • Spotted fever 
  • Toxoplasmosis 
  • Tuberculosis
  • Tularemia 

Opossums may also host parasites like fleas, mites, ticks, and lice.

When it comes to possums, these land-dwelling animals are free from rabies but that doesn’t mean you can touch them. They, too, carry diseases that can be spread through physical contact.

So, if you see an opossum or a possum, try to scare it away by making loud noises. If it’s inside your house, encourage it to leave by keeping your doors open. If it doesn’t budge, don’t take matters into your own hands because it may act defensively. Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator instead.

The Good News: Possums and Opossums Are Important to Ecosystems

Flightless mammals like opossums are key dispersers of many species, including late-successional large-seeded plants. They’ve also proven their value against ticks by limiting their populations. They protect us from diseases like Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and the Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness.

Possums and opossums also serve as prey for larger animals, and thus help maintain the natural order of things.

Help Paso Pacifico Preserve Their Habitats

The homes of animals are facing major threats. As deforestation leads to forest loss, all types of species are being forced out of their homes. Paso Pacifico’s mission is to ensure that creatures like possums and opossums have safe places to live. Because when their habitats disappear, so will the animals. 

Help us restore and protect the Pacific Slope ecosystems of Mesoamerica. Donate or help us raise funds.

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When you think about parrots, you’re probably picturing the scarlet macaw with its brilliant red plumage, bright blue and yellow feathers, and creamy white face. Intelligent, sociable, and stunningly beautiful, it is the world’s most famous parrot species.

Aside from being frequently featured in TV shows and films, the scarlet macaw plays an important role in our ecosystem. For one, this neotropical parrot distributes seeds throughout its vast Central and South American range. 

Join Paso Pacifico as we explore more fascinating facts about this extraordinary bird.

9 Quick Facts About the Scarlet Macaw

Get to know this gorgeous bird with these 9 quick facts:

1. Scarlet Macaws Are the Largest Parrots 

These birds are the largest parrots in the world! Its subspecies, the cyanoptera macaw, can be as long as 36 inches from beak to tail.  

2.  They’re  Visually Impressive

Scarlet macaws are fondly known as the rainbows of the rainforest. They have a striking plumage, which is predominantly red, with yellow and light blue feathers on the rump and tail. Around the eyes is a large patch of creamy white skin, which is mostly featherless. 

Its subspecies, the cyanoptera macaw, is distinguished by its median and secondary wing coverts, which are tipped in blue. Additionally, it lacks the green band that separates the brilliant yellow from the blue hue. 

3. They Have a Diverse Diet 

These South American birds are omnivores that enjoy plants and meat, feasting heavily on bugs, snails, nectar, leaves, seeds, insects, nuts, and flowers. 

Interestingly, they can digest toxic fruits that are lethal to other animals. This immunity is attributed to their habit of eating clay by the riverbanks, which neutralizes chemicals like tannins.

4. Ara Macaws Have a Powerful Curved Beaks 

Scarlet macaws’ powerful curved beaks are used to crack open the husks of fruits and crush hard nuts and seeds for easy digestion. 

But did you know that it has other uses? Their hooked and strong appendage—which packs enough force to split open coconut shells—helps them climb branches and defend themselves against predators.

5. Most Are Left-Footed

Scarlet macaws, including Ara macao cyanoptera, are left-footed. This preferential bias is because the right sides of their brains are more developed than the left. This is why they use their left feet to grasp, grab, and manipulate food while the right supports their bodies.

6. They’re Monogamous 

Scarlet macaws are monogamous and remain dedicated to their mates for life. They show affection by touching their partners’ feet, licking each other’s faces, “kissing,” preening, and talking to each other.

In certain situations (like when the pair fails to reproduce or a mate gets lost in the wild), the other partner will mate with another macaw. 

7. Scarlet Macaws Breed Every 1 to 2 Years 

These parrots breed once every one to two years, though some pairs also mate year-round. Females typically produce 2 to 4 white and rounded eggs.

8. They Help Plant Trees

These neotropical birds are seed predators and seed dispersers. They can transport and disperse large fruits and seeds over long distances.

9. Scarlet Macaws Have Long Lifespans 

Ara macaws have the longest lifespan among parrots. They can live up to 40 to 50 years in the wild. Researchers believe that their large brains may be the reason why they outlive most species in the animal kingdom.

Threats To the Scarlet Macaw 

Though the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list classifies the Ara Macao’s numbers as Least Concern (LC), its numbers continue to decrease. Globally, there are only 20,000 to 50,000 left. 

However . . .

When we consider its Mesoamerican subspecies, the Ara macao cyanoptera, the situation turns dire. Paso Pacifico estimates that there are fewer than 20 of them left in western Central America. 

Here are the most common threats faced by the Ara macao cyanoptera:

Predation

Clay enables these parrots to enjoy immunity from the toxic fruits that are part of their diets. To ingest it, however, they have to fly to the riverside where they become easy prey for raptors like eagles, hawks, and falcons. 

Quite often, these animals also take fledglings from their nests. Baby birds are generally well-camouflaged in the thick, dense foliage of the rainforests. However, they are threatened by arboreal predators like snakes, toucans, forest falcons, monkeys, and other small carnivorous animals. Sometimes, they are also hunted by large cats like jaguars.

Pet Trading 

The scarlet macaw is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Hence, their trade is prohibited or tightly controlled, except in rare cases like scientific research.

Though illegal, poaching remains the largest threat to the species based on information from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The demand is driven by people who insist on keeping them as pets. They’re also hunted for food and their colorful feathers. 

A single ara macao cyanoptera can fetch as much as $1,000 on the black market. 

Habitat Loss

Their numbers are dwindling due to habitat loss, the result of agricultural encroachment, climate change, industrial development, the harvesting of timber, road network expansion, etc. 

Poachers sometimes cut down trees to get to the eggs or hatchlings, which exacerbates the problem.

What Can We Do To Save the Scarlet Macaw Bird?

There’s a lot we can do to help preserve the species and their vital place in our ecosystems. 

Create Awareness About Scarlet Macaws

While people are often aware of the scarlet macaw’s existence, not enough know about its diminishing population. The first and crucial step to protecting them is spreading the word. 

Tell people about their precarious situation, their important roles as seed dispersers, and how they help maintain forest biodiversity. This will encourage discussion and inspire action. 

Don’t Keep Them as Pets

Earlier in this post, we mentioned that keeping these birds as pets fuels poaching activities. One of the easiest ways to protect them is not to buy them. 

In addition, keeping birds as pets is cruel. Away from their natural environments, their wings are often clipped and they are more likely to engage in destructive behavior that can lead to poor health and death.

Save Their Natural Habitats

Scarlet macaws, like the Ara macao cyanoptera, typically live in large trees that are found in undisturbed tropical forests. It’s thus important to conserve and restore their habitats through targeted activities.

  • Localized efforts are more effective than initiatives controlled by outside organizations.
  • We must call on decision-makers to enact policies and other measures that safeguard the species.
  • Forest restoration creates more habitats and absorbs more carbon.
  • Ecotourism spreads awareness while generating funds that can be used to preserve them.

Donating to organizations that are dedicated to saving the habitats of scarlet macaws is also an immense help.

Conduct Breeding and Reintroduction Programs

Captive breeding and reintroduction programs ensure the survival of scarlet macaw species that are nearing extinction. It entails keeping the birds in captivity so they can reproduce with human assistance.

Once grown, they are released into the wild so they can thrive and continue multiplying. The overall goal is for scarlet macaws to eventually have self-sustaining populations.

Monitor Populations in Their Natural Habitats

Tracking scarlet macaw populations in their natural environments is one of Paso Pacifico’s main conservation activities. From the January to April nesting season, we monitor and protect their nests as well as conduct health checkups. 

Through our efforts in the Cosigüina peninsula in Nicaragua, one of the last places where wild cyanoptera scarlet macaws can be found, we’ve been able to grow its local numbers by 20%.

Save the Ara Macao Cyanoptera With Paso Pacifico

Paso Pacifico employs a three-pronged approach to conserving cyanoptera scarlet macaws: protecting their nests, educating young children, and offering the local community economic benefits. It’s a promising framework but we need your help to continue the progress we’ve made.

Consider making a one-time or monthly donation to Paso Pacifico’s Saving Cyanoptera Macaws Program. With your help, we can help these endangered birds thrive in the wild again.

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The sea turtle is one of North America’s most treasured species. People often pay huge amounts on excursions to witness these creatures in their natural habitat, swimming among coral reefs in the middle of stark blue seas. 

There are currently seven sea or marine turtle species in existence: Hawksbill, Loggerhead, Leatherback, Olive ridley, Green, Flatback, and Kemp’s ridley. Most of them can live up to 100 years. 

However, it is estimated that only one in 1,000 sea turtles survive to see adulthood and mate to expand their species. There are many reasons for their decline in survival—some natural and some man-made. This is why saving sea turtles is a critical need all over the world.

Fortunately, Paso Pacifico is one of the biggest proponents for conservation on the Pacific Coast. Read on for all you need to know about sea turtles and how you can help them. 

Sea Turtles: A Marine Maricle 

Sea turtles can be found all around the world. These majestic creatures can grow as large as 1,500 pounds and up to 63 inches. Their diet predominantly consists of jellyfish, seaweed, squid, barnacles, and sponges; however, green turtles only consume sea grass and algae.

Sea turtles swim thousands of miles throughout their lifetimes, visiting different oceans and coral reefs as they explore. They mainly do so to forage for food and find beaches that will make for safe nests to lay their eggs.

Today, almost all seven species of sea turtles are classified as endangered. For many years, these marine animals have been exploited for their eggs, meat, skin, and shells. Climate change has also contributed to disruptions in their nesting habits, causing this beloved species to dwindle to alarming numbers. 

Why Are Sea Turtles Endangered?

Sea turtles are integral to marine ecology, as they feed on jellyfish and protect the coral reefs. For example, leatherback turtles control populations of jellyfish and various fish stocks. Adult hawksbill sea turtles can eat up to 1,200 pounds of sponges a year, thus maintaining balance in the ecosystem.

Sea turtle conservationists in El Salvador and all over the world have been working diligently to educate people about this issue and save these precious animals. Here are some reasons for the significant decline in their numbers: 

Feeding

In many cultures and regions, turtle meat and eggs are a significant source of protein. Even if hunting has been prohibited in some areas, illegal practices like poaching eggs and selling them are still very common. 

Local governments and sea turtle conservation centers are trying to spread awareness about their depletion in numbers and the repercussions of overconsuming turtle eggs and meat. 

Poaching 

Studies estimate that in the last three decades, more than 1 million sea turtles have been poached for their skin and shells. Their skin is used for leather products, while turtle shells are polished to create jewelry, combs, and various decorative accessories.

Fishing 

Fishermen are venturing further into the ocean to keep up with consumer demand and get a decent catch. Sea turtles accidentally get caught in their nets, leading to severe injuries and even death. 

Survival of the Fittest

Sea turtles lay eggs near the shore, bury them in sand, and then swim away, never to see their hatchlings again. The life of a baby sea turtle begins without its mother, and its first few hours of survival ultimately depend on its strength and resilience. 

Each year, thousands of freshly hatched baby turtles must fend for themselves, leaving only the fittest—sadly an extremely small number—to crawl into the ocean and thrive in its vastness. 

Climate Change 

Millions of coral reefs have been destroyed or are under threat due to climate change. According to the WWF, 50% of the world’s shallow coral reefs have been lost, and the rest could disappear by 2050. 

Increasing sea levels have led to more storms, leading to lower survival rates for coral reefs. 

The temperature of the sand determines the sex of sea turtle hatchlings. Higher temperatures produce more females, while lower temperatures produce males. Climate change has caused temperatures to rise, creating a disparity in sex ratios that has led to population issues. 

Pollution

It has been estimated that a sea turtle has a 22% chance of dying from consuming just one piece of plastic. Sadly, about 1,000 sea turtles die each year because of the proliferation of plastic waste in the ocean and on miles of shorelines. 

Furthermore, polluted shores block the path of sea turtle hatchlings trying to crawl into the ocean.  

Conservation Goals for Sea Turtle Populations

Sea turtle conservation in El Salvador has faced many hurdles, mainly due to poachers fighting against local authorities and using lesser-known routes to smuggle poached eggs. 

Paso Pacífico has a unique and innovative approach toward conservation. Their mission is to protect biodiversity by collaborating with local communities, landowners, and partner organizations to restore and protect habitats. 

One of its biggest projects has been the development of the InvestEGGator, a GPS-GSM tracking device that looks like real sea turtle eggs. These indistinguishable objects are planted into real sea turtle nests, so when poachers smuggle the eggs, the InvestEGGators can chart real-time maps of their routes. Successfully identifying these routes will significantly reduce turtle egg trafficking domestically and even internationally.

The ultimate goal is to employ about 50 award-winning InvestEGGators across Central America to take down smugglers and save as many sea turtles as possible.

How Can We Help the Sea Turtles?

Here are some ways you can contribute toward the conservation of sea turtles:

Avoid Overconsumption of Plastic

Avoiding single-use plastic items like straws, cups, water bottles, bags, and other containers can significantly reduce waste in the long run.

Participate in Beach-Cleaning Drives

Many local conservation bodies regularly organize beach cleaning drives. Cleaning up after yourself and others can help the marine environment in general, including sea turtles. More hatchlings can find their way to the ocean and reduce their chances of consuming plastic. 

Learn About Sea Turtle Nesting Areas

Studying where sea turtles nest can also help people take more responsibility for hatchlings’ survival. Initiatives like cleaning up the beach, quarantining nesting areas during the season, and prohibiting flashlights at night can aid conservation.

Donate Toward Sea Turtle Conservation

Consider donating to organizations that work toward the conservation of sea turtles. Your donations provide them with much-needed resources to save sea turtles in more ways than you can imagine. In Paso Pacifico we have been working for years helping different conservation centers in El Salvador.

Conclusion

Sea turtles are beautiful, important animals that need help to keep their species alive. Despite stringent rules and regulations in place for conservation, sea turtles are still on the brink of extinction. Places like Australia, the Caribbean, and Central and South America still see significant poaching for eggs and turtles, tipping the scales in the wrong direction. 

Those who stand by the cause must educate themselves about sea turtle conservation in El Salvador and the rest of the world. Supporting organizations like Paso Pacifico will go a long way in conserving marine ecology and saving its many creatures.

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When you think about the wild cats of the Americas, the cougar and jaguar are the stars of the show. Even though these large predatory cats are iconic in their own right, they take attention away from the rest of the New World’s felid guild. A wide array of small and medium-sized cats stalk the forests of North, Central, and South America. Among these lesser-known wildcats, the jaguarundi stands out as a unique species.

Get To Know the Jaguarundi

_why are jaguarundi endangered

The jaguarundi (scientific name: Herpailurus yagouaroundi) is a solitary wildcat in more ways than one. Not only does it spend most of its life alone, seeking companions only during mating, but it’s also completely unlike most cat species with which it shares its habitat.

For starters, the jaguarundi looks nothing like other small wildcats. The species is roughly twice the size of a common domestic house cat. Instead of the more common spotted coat, the jaguarundi has a solid, uniform coloration on its entire coat. At most, it could have light markings on its face, but the rest of its fur is a single shade of either gray, brown, or red. Researchers believe that this is because jaguarundis have 38 chromosomes while other small New World cats have 36. 

The name jaguarundi means “dark jaguar” in the old Guaraní language. However, evolutionary studies have found that jaguarundis are most closely related to pumas and cheetahs, not jaguars. In fact, the binomial name Puma yagouaroundi was also widely used for the species, but Herpailurus yagouaroundi is commonly preferred today.

Jaguarundis have a unique shape. Their morphology borrows traits from otters and weasels and transplants them into the cat family. They have small, flattened heads, short snouts, short legs, and an elongated, tapered tail. 

Like all cats, jaguarundis are predators. Their diet includes birds, reptiles, small mammals, and fish on occasion. Jaguarundis also hunt larger game, like armadillos, with some frequency. Though jaguarundis are strong swimmers and adept climbers, these terrestrial predators prefer to do their hunting on the ground. 

Jaguarundi Distribution: Large Ranges, Low Density

As avid hunters, jaguarundis need environments that offer cover and facilitate camouflage while stalking prey. As long as they can sneak up on their targets undetected, these cats will not go hungry. They live at varying elevations of up to 3,200 meters, and inhabit a range of terrains including forests, savannas, shrublands, and grasslands.

Jaguarundis can be found throughout Central and South America. From Mexico in the north to Argentina in the south, their habitats span various countries and environments. However, this large distribution does not mean that jaguarundi numbers are high.

Instead, this expansive range is partly why their numbers have become quite thin. They don’t share territory, and a single individual can occupy a massive home range. Such low population densities make jaguarundis especially vulnerable to habitat fragmentation.

Is the Jaguarundi Endangered?

The conservation status of jaguarundis is a complex question. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN’s) Red List, jaguarundis are listed as a species of Least Concern. However, some conservationists believe that their low population density and declining numbers means their status should be updated to near threatened.

Most of the jaguarundi populations in the southern United States have already been extirpated. The most stable and viable populations of jaguarundis live in South America’s Amazon basin where they dwell in protected areas. But in the northern reaches of their range, especially the Central American subcontinent, jaguarundis are much more vulnerable. 

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) includes North American and Central American jaguarundi populations on Appendix I, which means they are threatened with extinction and require a high level of protection. Even the IUCN notes that jaguarundi numbers are declining despite listing it as a species of least concern.

Jaguarundi: Why Is It Endangered?

Why are jaguarundi endangered? All wildlife faces an existential threat in a world increasingly shaped by human activity, jaguarundis included. Thankfully, jaguarundis are not targeted by the wildlife trade for their fur, which is considered to be of poor quality. This means that wild jaguarundi populations don’t have to deal with hunting pressure, at least from humans. 

When it comes to other predators in its environment, it’s an entirely different equation. Jaguarundis are neither the largest nor strongest small wildcats in the jungle. Their relatively low standing among their feline cousins means that jaguarundis often lose out on prime habitat and access to prey when faced with competition from other cat species. This trend has been noted in so many studies it has its own name: the Ocelot Effect, named after the larger cat species in the jaguarundi’s range.

Jaguarundi Endangered Facts

Even though jaguarundis are not directly targeted by poaching, they still suffer the impacts of human activity. Sadly, it’s quite common to see jaguarundis caught in traps meant for other animals. Jaguarundis also suffer the fallout of human-animal conflict as farmers in rural areas often kill them to protect their poultry from predation.

Out of all the threats to jaguarundi numbers, habitat loss and fragmentation might be the biggest. Since these cats require large home ranges, converting their habitat into agricultural land and pastures reduces their ability to find prey and mates.  

Jaguarundi Conservation Projects

Jaguarundi conservation efforts differ from country to country. In the northern half of its distribution range, particularly the Central American subcontinent, jaguarundis are protected species. Hunting jaguarundis is prohibited in Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Panama.

Outside of Central America, hunting jaguarundis is also prohibited in several other countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Paraguay, Suriname, Uruguay, the US, and Venezuela. In Peru, hunting jaguarundi is permitted provided the hunters follow certain restrictions. 

Thankfully, being included in CITES’ Appendix I and Appendix II legitimizes the dangers facing jaguarundi today. While they may not be as flashy as an ocelot or as majestic as a jaguar, jaguarundis also need protection from looming extinction. Their inclusion on these lists accomplishes that by protecting them from being traded as exotic pets. It’s a good thing too, since jaguarundis are wild animals and, despite appearances, they are very much unlike house cats.

How You Can Help Protect Jaguarundis

As an animal lover, it’s tough to watch well-adapted jungle cats suffer because humans are taking over their habitats. Protecting the home ranges of jaguarundis is an urgent need. That is why initiatives like Paso Pacífico’s plan to secure core habitats in Central America can help ensure their numbers. By partnering with landowners, Paso Pacífico creates safe havens for all of Central America’s wonderful wild creatures.

Along with providing endangered jaguarundis a home, Paso Pacífico is also committed to helping train a new generation of wildlife stewards who understand that they must respect every creature that calls Central America home. Since 2012, the Junior Ranger program has combined exciting field trips, informative classroom lectures, and hands-on volunteer work to instill a deep respect for the natural world among kids aged eight to 13.

If you would like to help Paso Pacifico provide jaguarundis with suitable habitats where they can thrive, explore our website and consider making a donation.

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Central America has a diverse array of dazzling landscapes and biospheres. Its lush rainforests and montane forests are home to a charismatic primate that has become an icon of Central American wildlife, the black-handed spider monkey.

The black-handed spider monkey is one of the seven species of spider monkeys found in Central and South America. These curious and charismatic primates can be seen swinging through the treetops, congregating noisily, and performing the extremely important function of seed dispersal throughout the forest. 

All spider monkeys, including the black-handed spider monkey, play a vital role in the forest’s ecosystem. Unfortunately, every one of the seven spider monkey species is currently endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. This article will help you better understand these fascinating but threatened creatures by sharing black-handed spider monkey facts that you may not have known.

Meet the Black-Handed Spider Monkey

As New World primates, black-handed spider monkeys are distant evolutionary cousins to humans. Like us, they are smart and social, using a combination of their unique physical traits, intelligence, and group behavior to thrive in the forested habitats of Central America. Let’s learn a little more about what makes black-handed spider monkeys so special.

Appearance

Black-handed spider monkeys have expressive faces marked by light pigmentation around the eyes, nose, and muzzle. They get their name from their coloration, with lighter-colored fur on their bodies and dark, black fur covering their limbs. Babies are born with dark fur covering their entire bodies, and their adult coloration starts to show as they reach five months of age.

Photo by Colleen McCann

Their long tails, which grow even longer than their bodies, are prehensile with a fleshy pad under the tail’s tip. This tail is used as a fifth limb, allowing black-handed spider monkeys to grip branches as they navigate their arboreal environment.

Among the seven spider monkey species, black-handed spider monkeys are the largest. Fully mature individuals are between 12 to 25 inches long and weigh between 13 to 20 pounds. The males are slightly larger than females, but black-handed spider monkeys do not display as much sexual dimorphism as other primate species like baboons and gorillas. 

Behavior

Black-handed spider monkeys are playful and social primates that form tight bonds within their troops. They have a fission-fusion social structure, where a large troop is made up of several smaller groups that roam the territory independently and congregate at full force in intervals. The subgroups within a troop usually consist of closely related individuals, most often a mother and her adolescent offsprings.

These monkeys are polygamous, with males and females taking multiple partners in short-lived mating unions known as consortships. There is no fixed mating season for black-handed spider monkeys. Instead, females take partners when they are ready to mate according to their estrous cycle. Most pregnancies result in a single birth, and females are ready to mate at intervals of two to four years.

Diet

Like most monkeys, black-handed spider monkeys are primarily herbivores. They prefer a fructivorous diet, seeking out ripe, fleshy fruits as their preferred meal. This preference makes them prolific seed dispersers in the forest ecosystem, spreading fruit seeds across their habitat through their droppings.

While black-handed spider monkeys subsist on a fruit-based diet, they will occasionally supplement it with flowers, nuts, insects, arachnids, and small reptiles. So, even though they are generally considered herbivores, it’s also fair to say that black-handed spider monkeys are opportunistic omnivores.

Threats Facing Black-Handed Spider Monkeys

When it comes to life in the trees, it’s literally a jungle out there for black-handed spider monkeys. Being the largest spider monkey species isn’t much protection against Central America’s apex predators which consist of jaguars, large snakes, and harpy eagles. The jungle’s insects also carry diseases that afflict spider monkeys, such as malaria. These natural threats mean that a wild black-handed spider monkey’s life expectancy is usually between 20 and 30 years. However, in captivity, these mammals have been known to reach 45 years of age.

Black-handed spider monkeys are well-adapted to cope with these natural threats. However, they are still on the endangered list because of human activity more than any other factor. The many ways humans put black-handed spider monkeys at risk include:

Habitat Loss

Logging in Central America has led to a significantly smaller forest cover, magnifying the threat to black-handed spider monkeys’ habitats. As treetop specialists, they rely on forests for food and places to sleep. 

Illegal Wildlife Trade

The size and gregarious nature of black-handed spider monkeys make some people think they would make the perfect exotic pets. However, these monkeys don’t do well when taken out of their natural environments, and the illegal trafficking of these animals as pets is among the biggest threats to their population.

Poaching

In some Central American cultures, spider monkeys are considered fair game for hunting. The way they gather in large groups and their loud, distinctive vocalizations make them easy to track even in dense forests. Unfortunately, this means their populations are at constant risk of over-hunting.

These threats are omnipresent across their range and contribute to their endangered status. According to the IUCN Red List, there is no information on how many of these monkeys are left in the wild. However, it is helpful to know how small the populations of other spider monkey species are. The Azuero spider monkey has no more than 116 individuals while the black-browed spider monkey has at most 160 members. Meanwhile, there are around 648 Yucatan spider monkeys.

Photo by Phil Torres

Where To See Black-Handed Spider Monkeys in Central America

Black-handed spider monkeys have a range covering the entirety of the isthmus connecting North and South America. Forests in Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Belize can contain black-handed spider monkeys. However, these monkeys are usually scarce and very shy, and they have been wiped out of some areas entirely. If you are in Central America and want to see a wild spider monkey, ask a local if there are any nearby.

The black-handed spider monkey’s close relative, the black-headed spider monkey, can be found in the northwestern forests of Colombia. Some primatologists claim that black-handed and black-headed spider monkeys belong to the same species, with only superficial differences in appearance and size.

Interacting With Black-Handed Spider Monkeys

If you encounter a black-handed spider monkey in the wild, consider yourself very lucky! But remember, despite their sweet appearance, these monkeys are still wild animals. They are naturally wary of humans and will indulge in displays of aggression when approached. These include breaking tree branches, making loud barks, and baring their fangs. While not life-threatening, a bite from a spider monkey can be quite painful! It’s best to appreciate these charming primates from a distance.

Lesser Known Black-Handed Spider Monkey Facts

Among Central America’s wild denizens, black-handed spider monkeys are one of the most charismatic. Here are some more interesting facts that make black-handed spider monkeys such fascinating primates:

  • Unlike most primates, black-handed spider monkeys live in matriarchal societies.
  • The fleshy pad on their tails bears a unique pattern. It is like an individual monkey’s fingerprint.
  • The famous Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo, kept black-handed spider monkeys as pets, even including them in one of her most famous self-portraits.
  • Sexually mature females sport an enlarged clitoris, which could be mistaken as a penis by an untrained observer.
  • Black-handed spider monkeys lack opposable thumbs, evolving elongated, hook-like fingers while reducing the size of their thumbs to better swing through the trees.

All these traits make black-handed spider monkeys one of the most unique species in Central America.

How You Can Help Protect Black-Handed Spider Monkeys

Conservation organizations like Paso Pacifico are hard at work to guarantee a bright future for black-handed spider monkeys. Since 2005, Paso Pacifico has worked to create safe habitats for these monkeys. If you’d like to help protect these beautiful creatures, consider donating to our wildlife conservation fund.

Photo by Nathan Dappen

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In May of 2023, a Taiwanese man was arrested at Miami International Airport after officers heard a chirping sound coming from his hand luggage. Inside were 28 parrot eggs, some already hatched! All were endangered species—yellow-naped and red-lored Amazon parrots. The man had been paid to fly from Central America to another country in a transit route that would take the birds around the world and to buyers in China. Europe, North America, and China are the biggest consumers of endangered and exotic species, with much of the demand driven by the pet trade.

More than 70% of smuggled wild animals die in transit, killed by extreme temperatures, lack of food and water, or the trauma of the journey. In the Miami case, 23 of the hatchlings survived, only because they were quickly discovered and then were hand-raised by a wildlife rescue organization. The birds will eventually be returned to Central America, where the hope is to introduce them to the wild, but most birds in the pet trade are not so lucky.

More than 90% of all Amazonian parrot eggs are poached, and their species are declining rapidly. Where bird species are eradicated, the seeds which they carry do not spread and vegetation changes, causing food supply problems and environmental degradation to areas already damaged by deforestation and harmful agricultural practices.

Poaching penalties are often light and poorly enforced, so it is no surprise that animal trafficking is now the 4th most common organized crime, after drug, weapon and human trafficking. To make matters worse, foreign countries involved in Central America’s numerous infrastructural and commercial projects often bring resident workers who, in addition to laboring on construction, sometimes participate in the wildlife crime networks. Paso Pacífico strives to counter the trade in parrot trafficking by protecting habitat, providing financial incentives to community members who protect nests, and raising awareness about the value in preserving their natural environment. Please support this important work today.

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In the sea and on land, sea turtles are some of the most majestic creatures on our beautiful planet. Witnessing a sea turtle swimming through open blue waters, foraging through busy coral reefs, or just basking on white sand beaches is one of the most amazing ecotourism adventures you will ever experience. If you’ve added “encounter a sea turtle” to your bucket list, not many places will offer you the same number of opportunities as Central America.

The Importance of Protecting Sea Turtles

It’s hard to imagine our planet’s oceans without any sea turtles, but that future might not be too far off. There are only seven extant species of sea turtles, and every last one of them is listed as either endangered or vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their numbers have plummeted due to a combination of factors. These include habitat loss, climate change caused by human activity, and indiscriminate industrial fishing operations.

The waters of Central America are known to offer several opportunities for sea turtle sightings. Once you’ve spotted a few, knowing how to behave around sea turtles and their nests is tantamount to the species’ preservation. By acting responsibly and with the intent of protecting turtle habitats, we can gaze at these wondrous creatures without hurting their populations.

What To Do if You Encounter a Sea Turtle

What To Do if You Encounter a Sea Turtle

You should consider yourself lucky if you ever enjoy the privilege of coming face-to-face with a sea turtle on a beach. These marine reptiles tend to prefer life in the waves, and come ashore only for brief periods. 

However, during nesting season, these ocean dwellers come ashore to lay their eggs. If you are in one of Central America’s natural havens during this time (each species has its own nesting season), you might catch a glimpse of these beautiful yet endangered creatures.

While it might be exciting to see a sea turtle up close, you need to exercise restraint and follow the guidelines mentioned below.

  • Do not touch the turtle under any circumstances! Depending on their conservation status, this might also be illegal. Also, touching it can stress the turtle and prevent it from completing its nest.
  • Stay out of reach and avoid making loud noises. This will help you avoid frightening the turtle while protecting you from injury. Sea turtles aren’t usually aggressive, but their bites can be strong and painful. 
  • Put out all artificial sources of light. Turtles are very sensitive to bright light, especially the type emitted during flash photography. Too many light sources on a beach will dissuade turtles from coming ashore to build their nests.
  • Avoid disturbing the turtle’s tracks on the sand, as researchers use them to study the local turtle populations.

What To Do if a Sea Turtle Approaches You

Sea turtles are shy animals that keep to themselves. They aren’t aggressive and maintain safe distances from humans and other animals. The most probable time that you’ll encounter a sea turtle is when it comes to the beach to nest. 

In the rare instance that a sea turtle approaches you, it’s important to remember the guidelines we mentioned above. Don’t try to touch it or expose it to flash lighting. Avoid startling or stressing it out. If a turtle becomes frightened, it might flee, bite you, or skip it’s nesting behavior.

What To Do if You Discover a Sea Turtle Nest

Once turtle mothers fulfill their maternal duty of laying the eggs in a nest of sand, they leave the clutch of eggs and return to the sea. An average clutch could contain anywhere between 40 to 150 eggs. 

Most sea turtle sites are recorded and monitored by scientists. In the rare event that you discover an unmonitored turtle nest, the best course of action is to stay away from it. Do not attempt to dig out the eggs or handle them in any way. Call the local wildlife authorities to alert them about the presence of the nest, and leave its protection to the conservation experts.

The same rule applies to nesting turtles. Leave them in peace and don’t harass them with bright lights and flash photography. Let the mother turtle finish her nest and lay her eggs without disturbing her. If you are able to plan ahead and believe you may meet a nesting sea turtle, make sure you only use a turtle-safe red light like this one.

When sea turtle eggs hatch, the entire clutch emerges from the nest en masse. These hatchlings must make a perilous journey to the sea while braving a gauntlet of predators and harsh conditions. Despite their cute appearance, you shouldn’t approach baby turtles. Enjoy witnessing the natural spectacle emerging from the sand, but do not interfere in any way.

Other ways we can protect sea turtles include:

Sea Turtle Species in the Pacific Ocean

There are seven species of sea turtles in the planet’s oceans, and six of them can be found in the Pacific Ocean. The entire ocean is their home, with some species migrating from California to Japan! However, as cold-blooded reptiles, all sea turtles prefer warmer waters. This makes the Pacific coast of Central America and its balmy neotropical climate a turtle’s paradise!

These are sea turtle species you can spot in Central and South America:

  • Olive Ridley Turtle: The smallest sea turtle in the Pacific, known for communal nesting behavior in groups numbering in the thousands.
  • Hawksbill Turtle: Named for its beak-shaped mouth, used to devour sea sponges and soft corals.
  • Flatback Turtle: This turtle dwells in shallow waters, where it chases down its preferred prey of soft-bodied invertebrates like sea slugs and sea snails.
  • Loggerhead Turtle: Recognisable by its distinctive head shaped this turtle hunts down hard-shelled crustaceans like lobsters, crabs, and shrimp.
  • Green Turtle: The world’s largest hard-shelled turtle species, they are gentle giants that thrive on a vegetarian diet of seagrass and algae.
  • Leatherback Turtle: An open ocean giant, these massive turtles specialize in diving to deep depths to hunt jellyfish. Sadly, they are close to extinction in the Eastern Tropical Pacific.

Among the different species, the olive ridley turtle is the most abundant. So, if you go looking for turtles, this is the one you’ll most likely come across. Though still endangered, its larger population is due to mass nesting events that are called “arribadas.” These take place in Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. 

Female olive ridleys nest one to three times during the nesting season, producing clutches of around 100 eggs each time. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 450,000 olive ridley turtles nest in Mexico each year. Meanwhile, 600,000 of them lay their eggs in Costa Rica annually, particularly on the beaches of Nancite and Ostional.

Other beaches where you can spot sea turtles are Tortuguero in Costa Rica, Jiquilisco Bay in El Salvador, and Monterrico in Guatemala. Additionally, you may want to look into La Flor Wildlife Refuge in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, near where we work.

How To Recognize an Olive Ridley Sea Turtle

If you encounter a sea turtle, there’s a big chance that it’s an olive ridley. So, let’s find out how you can recognize this species.

You can distinguish olive ridleys by their heart-shaped gray-green to olive carapaces or top shells. They have anywhere from five to nine pairs of scutes (or those bony plates on their shells). Each of their flippers have one or two claws. 

Olive ridleys are one of the smaller sea turtles. Most measure between two and 2.5 feet long. 

If You Encounter a Sea Turtle, Protect It By Behaving Responsibly

Sea turtles as a whole are endangered. How we behave around them can affect whether they go on to nest or return to the ocean without laying eggs. So, if you encounter a sea turtle, look at them, maintain your distance, and avoid loud noises. Don’t touch them or stress them out with bright lights.

Central America’s sea turtles are a natural treasure. Paso Pacífico fights tirelessly for their cause, patrolling beaches with turtle nesting sites and undertaking measures to prevent egg theft and poaching. Our dedication to protecting sea turtles can achieve even greater results with your support!

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When you think of Central and South American wildlife, you’re probably picturing iconic species of the rainforest like jaguars and anacondas. These large and impressive predators are the main attractions for wildlife tourism in the region, but they wouldn’t be there without a thriving, healthy ecosystem. that includes lesser-known species such as the greater grison, an important part of this intricate web of life.

The web of life that holds up those ecosystems is supported by hundreds of other species. If we want to protect and view megafauna in their natural habitats, the smaller animals need our attention as well. One of those is the greater grison, a member of the weasel family that thrives across Central and South America.

Meet the Greater Grison

There’s a good chance that this article is the first time you’ve heard about the greater grison unless you’ve spent time studying the native wildlife of the countries where it is found. That’s probably because the family of carnivores that the greater grison belongs to has several more famous relatives.

There’s the internet-famous, meme-worthy honey badger, known for its aggressive tenacity. You also have the deceptively adorable sea otters and their giant, river-dwelling cousins. Then, there’s the skunk, famous for weaponizing other animals’ sense of smell against them. All of these animals, as well as the more commonly spotted weasels, ferrets, and badgers, belong to the mustelid family. 

With such famous relatives, the greater grison is a relatively lesser-known animal. But that doesn’t mean it’s any less important to its ecosystem. Every wildlife species has a role to play in maintaining biodiversity, including the greater grison, whose scientific name is Galictis vittata. The grison genus includes the greater grison as well as its smaller species, the lesser grison (Galictis cuja).

What Do Greater Grisons Look Like?

What the greater greason looks like

Decked out in a coat of black, coarse fur with a grizzled gray pattern on top of its back and head, the greater grison resembles the honey badger in appearance. In fact, the grison gets its name from the French word gris, meaning gray. 

The greater grison’s genus name is equally descriptive: Galictis is a portmanteau of the Greek words galē and iktis, which both mean weasel. It’s an apt name for an animal that is closely related to the weasel and resembles it in appearance. Other colloquial names that allude to the greater grison’s ties to the mustelid family include tejón (“badger”) and huroncito (“little ferret”) in Spanish as well as furāo (“ferret”) in Portuguese.

From those list of names, it’s clear that the greater grison has a body that is typical of most mustelids. It has a long serpentine physique, a flexible tail, and a broad head with carnivorous dentition. Adult greater grisons grow to lengths between 18 and 24 inches and weigh three to eight pounds.

Down by the River: The Greater Grison’s Preferred Habitat

Mustelids call every continent except Australia and Antarctica home. They have adapted to a variety of climates and habitats. Meanwhile, the greater grison has found its own niche as a neotropical wetland specialist. From heavily forested regions to humid and wet savannas, greater grisons can be found living near rivers, streams, and other bodies of water.

The reason greater grisons live close to water is they frequently consume fish, shellfish, and freshwater crustaceans, contributing to a greater grison diet that showcases their adaptability as hunters. Their feet are semi-webbed and they aren’t shy of taking a dip to catch a meal or reach new hunting grounds. Millions of years of mustelid evolution have equipped greater grisons to navigate the rainy, riverine natural habitats of Central and South America.

What Is the Greater Grison’s Behavior Like?

Even experts cannot come to a consensus on whether greater grisons are diurnal, nocturnal, or crepuscular. They are active at all times of the day. Despite their high levels of activity, greater grisons prefer solitary lives. They spend most of their days alone, searching for small- to mid-sized animals to hunt and exploring their environments with the typical curiosity that all mustelids have become known for.

Greater Grison Family Matters

Greater grisons start to seek out their own company when it is time for them to raise a family. They form monogamous mating pairs that allow the male and female greater grison to go on hunts together. Once the courtship is complete, the male leaves the female to rear the young on her own. 

Greater grison pregnancies have a gestation period of approximately 39 days. The average litter size ranges between one and four kits. The young kits stay with the mother until they are weaned, which takes around three-and-a-half weeks. They will continue to stay by her side, learning the skills they need to survive, for a few more weeks until they strike out on their own. Grison kits reach full sexual maturity at around four months of age.

The Risky Life of Greater Grisons

It is not certain how long greater grisons live in the wild. Captive greater grisons have been recorded to live for up to 10 years, but their life expectancy in the wild is likely shorter than that. This is because greater grisons in the wild need to contend with a variety of factors, including wild cats and caiman, parasitic ticks, poisonous fungi, and diseases like canine distemper.

The Greater Grison: A Small But Powerful Hunter

Like its mustelid relatives, the greater grison combines a cute appearance with a killer carnivorous instinct. It fulfills a mesopredator’s role in its ecosystem, hunting small animals, birds, reptiles, and fish. While greater grisons will occasionally consume plant matter, their diet is mostly carnivorous. 

The Greater Grison’s Stinky Surprise

Greater grisons belong to the same family as skunks, and they’ve borrowed a nasty trick from their cladistic cousins. When faced with danger, greater grisons will sometimes aim a spray of greenish-yellow musk from a pair of specialized anal glands to confuse predators. Thankfully, the greater grison’s musk is nowhere as noxious as the skunk’s!

The Greater Grison Motto: Hunt Hard, Play Hard

If you’ve ever had the unusual privilege of interacting with greater grisons at animal rescue centers, you’ll be familiar with their playful personalities. Like all mammal babies, young greater grisons love to amuse themselves. They have a range of vocalizations, ranging from soft chirps and purrs to loud barks. Even though they are solitary animals in the wild, they have a sociable nature.

What Should I Do if I Meet a Greater Grison?

Greater grisons are extremely rare and elusive, so you probably won’t meet one. If you do come across a greater grison, leave it alone. Know that it doesn’t want to hurt you, but if it feels threatened, it will defend itself with stink, teeth, and claw! Grison bites can be very deep and take a long time to heal. Grisons have been raised by humans to control rodent populations because of their instinct to hunt smaller animals, but they are needed in the forest and best left in the wild.

Greater Grisons on the Pacific Coast

The greater grison is found across Central and South America. In Central America, the Pacific Coast has its very own subspecies of greater grison: Galictis vittata canaster. This subspecies can be found in the tropical forests of Nicaragua (including the Paso del Istmo Wildlife Corridor), Costa Rica, and Panama. 

Why Greater Grison Conservation Is Important

While the greater grison is difficult to find, the current IUCN Conservation Status for the greater grison is listed as “Least Concern.” This is because of its widespread distribution and apparently stable population, although it still faces threats from greater grison predators that can impact its survival in the wild. But even apparently healthy species need protection to ensure healthy ecosystems where more vulnerable species can find suitable habitats. Help secure core habitats for Central America’s endemic wildlife by supporting organizations like Paso Pacífico. Paso Pacífico works with local landowners and other organizations to form new protected areas. The future of the planet rests on our ability to protect all creatures, especially cute, fuzzy ones like the greater grison!

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Few animals embody the wild and beautiful nature of the neotropical jungle like the jaguar. This apex predator is an icon of the Mesoamerican and Amazon forests and can be found in 18 countries across Central and South America. 

Some species are so charismatic, fascinating, and frightening to local people that they become more than just wildlife. They become part of native storytelling. Jaguars enjoy that lofty position, but with the world changing so fast, there’s a danger that this proud cat might truly pass into legend, and never reclaim the territories it once ruled. 

Let’s take a look at the conservation status of this exotic cat, and what the future holds for it.

The Jaguar: The Largest Cat in the Americas

Losing jaguars in the wild would be a terrible loss for global biodiversity. They are the largest big cats in the Western Hemisphere. Lions and tigers—the only true heavyweights of the cat family—are larger than jaguars. As one of the largest land predators on both American continents, the jaguar rules its ecosystem and is at the top of the food chain.

For wild jaguars, almost every animal in their habitat is on the menu. They will hunt, catch, and feed on anything from traditional prey species like deer and peccaries to surprising targets like turtles, caiman, and fish. Even armadillos, with their banded shells, fall prey to jaguars on the prowl. Unlike their lion and tiger cousins, jaguars don’t kill their prey through suffocation via a neck bite. Pound-for-pound, jaguars have the strongest bite of all big cats, and they put it to good use with a crushing bite to the prey’s skull. 

While the jaguar is a powerful and intimidating predator, it’s also an unquestionably beautiful animal. Jaguars come in two color morphs. The first is the traditional coat, which features yellow, golden, or tan fur covered with thick black rosettes. While a jaguar might appear similar to a leopard at first glance, it’s a larger cat featuring rosettes that are more clearly marked with a spot in the center that leopards don’t have. The second morph is a melanistic jaguar (also called a black panther) which has a coat of dark black fur growing over the traditional coat.

The black panther is more rare than the spotted jaguar, but that’s not saying much. Jaguar populations are worryingly low, with most of the species concentrated in the Amazon rainforest basin — not in Central America.

Are Jaguars Endangered?

Are jaguars endangered? At the moment, the answer to that question is no, they are not. But that could all change very soon. Based on information from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the jaguar is classified as “near threatened.” Only one level, “vulnerable,” stands between jaguars and an official endangered status. 

As things stand, there’s no need to wait for an official declaration to start working toward jaguar conservation. This big cat once roamed freely in North America as well, but a combination of factors has driven it near extinction north of sub-tropical Mexico. The same combination of factors threatens jaguars in Central and South America as well. There are now only an estimated 170,000 jaguars left in the world. It’s time to protect these beautiful creatures before it becomes too late.

How Are Jaguars Endangered?

An adult jaguar has no natural predators. They are the undisputed rulers of the rainforest and have always commanded a healthy respect from indigenous cultures. 

Why are jaguars endangered? Like so many species across the world, industrialization and modernization have joined forces to pose a serious threat to jaguars. Since the 1990s, jaguar populations have been declining in nearly every country where they are found.

There are a few key reasons why jaguar numbers have fallen in the last couple of decades.

1. Habitat Loss and Fragmentation

As forest cover in the neotropics declines at an alarming rate, jaguars are running out of safe places to live. In many Central and South American countries, the developing economies are converting forest land for human use. This is wreaking havoc on established wildlife corridors, disrupting jaguars’ ability to live in their natural habitats.

As the jaguars are forced into increasingly small pockets of land, it’s harder for them to find food and to mate.

2. Poaching and Illegal Wildlife Trade

As a fearsome predator, the jaguar has always been something of a status symbol for trophy hunters. Its stunning pelt and large size made it the ideal game for sporting hunts, a practice that contributed to the jaguar’s population decline. While it is now illegal to kill jaguars for trophies, poaching remains a threat.

Jaguars have also been killed for the sake of traditional Chinese medicine which uses the bones, claws, and teeth of the cat as ingredients. As long as the demand for jaguar parts exists on the global market, these cats will never be completely safe.

3. Human-Jaguar Conflict

Though jaguars have no natural predators, they aren’t immune to harm. Jaguars facing habitat loss will turn to alternative sources of prey, which might include livestock. Some desperate cats might even attack humans, though recorded cases of jaguars killing people are very rare. This makes local ranchers and farmers view jaguars as nuisance animals, which could lead them to measures like poison or lethal traps. 

In an effort to improve farmers’ perception of jaguars, Paso Pacífico has worked with landowners and other community members to learn about the jaguar and its importance to Nicaragua’s dry tropical forest ecosystem. At workshops, landowners received livestock management training to better protect their animals from jaguars and other large carnivores. Paso Pacífico also verifies and offers farmers compensation for any livestock that they lose to jaguars in an effort to prevent farmers from shooting jaguars on their property.

The Urgent Need for Jaguar Conservation

If we lose the jaguar, we lose an irreplaceable part of planet Earth’s natural heritage. Would Mesoamerica, the Amazon, or any of the jaguar’s native ecosystems be the same without its apex predator? There is a lot more at stake than one might think.

Jaguars Are Keystone Species

Without jaguars, prey animal populations will start to shoot up. This will lead to overgrazing, which in turn can cause soil erosion. Jaguars lie at the center of the food web, and removing them can have catastrophic consequences.

Jaguars Are Culturally Significant

Indigenous cultures view jaguars with great reverence. In fact, the cat’s name is drawn from the Tupi-Guarani tongue’s “yaguara.” It means “the beast that kills with a single leap.” In some corners of South America, it is also called “yaguarété.” The “été” suffix modifies the meaning from “beast” to “the true beast.” 

From the Olmecs to the Mayans and the Aztecs many Mesoamerican civilizations viewed the jaguar as a powerful and even spiritual being. By protecting jaguars, we are also respecting Mesoamerican culture.

How You Can Help Jaguars in the Wild

Many organizations are working tirelessly for jaguar conservation across Central and South America. If you have time, consider volunteering with these organizations. Working in conservation offers meaningful experiences and unforgettable adventures. If you’re unable to volunteer, you could also donate to Paso Pacífico. 

Do not support any businesses that engage in the illegal wildlife trade, and report anybody dealing in jaguar parts to the authorities.

Despite its majesty, the jaguar is just another animal struggling to survive in a world that is increasingly shaped by humans. Protecting jaguars is a worthy mission for those who believe the Earth is meant to be shared by all living creatures.

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The planet’s oceans are teeming with fascinating creatures but few capture our imaginations as whales have. These gentle giants travel great distances each year and can be found in all of the world’s oceans. 

The sight of a massive whale breaching the surface is breathtaking whether you’re seeing it on video or firsthand. One species of whale known for this breaching behavior is the humpback whale. The species’ history can teach us a lot about marine ecosystems and the urgent need to conserve them.

Humpback Whales, Charismatic Cetaceans

Even though they aren’t the largest whale species, humpback whales are not short on charisma. They display many behaviors that have puzzled scientists and dazzled animal lovers. Some questions about humpback whales have yet to be answered. This piece will cover some of the most interesting facts about humpback whales.

The Singers of the Sea

Have you ever heard whale songs? Those haunting yet strangely soothing calls that most of us associate with all whale species are usually recordings of humpback whales. The humpbacks’ songs have become the signature sounds of all whales, even though the original singers might be the most melodic species of all.

This singing behavior is enchanting and mysterious because experts still can’t agree on the reasons why humpback whales sing. One theory suggests that the songs are used for echolocation and feeding while another states they could be used to communicate with other members of the species over long distances. 

Feeding With Flair

Humpback whales are extremely intelligent creatures that have complex but efficient methods of feeding. They thrive on a diet of plankton, krill, shrimp, and small fish. Like all baleen whales, humpbacks don’t have teeth. Instead, they have fibers that act as sieves to allow them to filter feed. But one of the most interesting facts about humpback whales is that they take this filter-feeding technique to the next level. 

You might have thought humans were the only ones to fish with nets, but you’d be wrong. Humpbacks have been filmed using “bubble nets” to catch prey. They blow up rings of bubbles from below a school of fish or krill. The bubbles cause the prey to crowd together, making it much easier for the whale to rise from below and swallow a whole mouthful of food in a single gulp. Using such advanced techniques is proof that humpback whales are sentient, thoughtful creatures that deserve our respect and protection.

Humpback whales usually feed during the spring and summer, taking advantage of conditions to load up on nutrients. The winter months are spent migrating to breeding grounds where the whales compete for mates and do not eat at all until spring returns. 

Stars on the Surface

For decades, whale watchers have been a starstruck audience for humpback whales. The species is known to become accustomed to the presence of boats, making them an easier target for sightseeing tours to track down. Humpbacks are also famous for their energetic surface behavior, performing breaches, fin slaps, and raising their tail fluke frequently. 

The dynamic behavior makes humpback whales great photography subjects. Combined with their docile, trusting nature, it’s no surprise that humpback whales are a favorite among whale watchers.

Gentle Giants

How big are humpback whales? As far as whale species’ go, humpback whales aren’t exactly lightweights. Full-grown adults can grow between 15 meters and 18 meters in length, and weigh up to 40 tons! That’s around the size of a bus which should give you an idea of the scale of the creature. 

Despite their large size, humpback whales aren’t considered a threat to humans. They have peaceful personalities, and cases of a whale attacking or even unintentionally injuring a person are extremely rare. Some freak cases involved:

  • A woman who died when a humpback breached the surface and crashed onto the boat she was on
  • A humpback whale accidentally swallowed a diver whole while feeding, only to immediately spit him back out

It’s safe to say that humans pose a much greater danger to humpback whales than the other way around.

Where Are Humpback Whales Found?

Do you want to witness the beauty of humpback whales with your own eyes? Thankfully, it’s still possible today despite the extinction faced by the species in the mid-20th century. In regions where these whales come close to shore, an entire whale-watching industry has sprung up. 

Humpback whales are powerful swimmers, able to cover thousands of miles in a few weeks when they are migrating for food or mating. A single humpback whale can be spotted in locations as far-flung as Hawaii and Alaska in the same year. The humpback whales’ habitat spans the globe, covering the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Southern Ocean, and the Arabian Sea.

Though the humpback whale can be found worldwide, its scientific name is Megaptera novaeangliae, named after New England, where specimens of these whales were studied for the first time in the 18th century. 

How long do humpback whales live? Humpback whales’ extended migration patterns are partly made possible by their extraordinary longevity. They live for 80 to 90 years, making them one of longest living whale species. 

How You Can See Humpback Whales

Do you want to witness the beauty of humpback whales with your own eyes? Thankfully, it’s still possible today despite the extinction faced by the species in the mid-20th century. In regions where these whales come close to shore, an entire whale-watching industry has sprung up (an industry that, unfortunately, often harms the habitat of these whales). Nicaragua and El Salvador in Central America, the New England coast, or the Hawaiian islands are examples of destinations you could visit to catch a glimpse of humpback whales in their natural habitat.

Humpback Whale Conservation: A Success Story

We should consider ourselves lucky that we can still see humpback whales in the wild. At the height of the whaling industry, whalers were slaughtering and harvesting these magnificent animals by the thousands. Humpback whales were prized by whalers for their meat, blubber, and oil. Commercial exploitation nearly wiped out these beautiful animals from the face of the planet. 

By the 1960s, humpback whales were in dire straits. Studies estimate that the total number of humpback whales around the globe could not have been more than 5,000 during those dark times. Global conservation efforts and the International Whaling Commission outlawed the commercial hunting of humpbacks in 1966 to stave off their extinction. 

Since then, the humpback whale population has experienced a slow and steady recovery. The number of whales in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Southern Oceans has risen with each decade, though the Arabian Sea population remains isolated. While certain outlying populations may still be facing existential threats, the species as a whole is much healthier. 

In 2018, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) declared the humpback whale’s conservation status as “Least Concern” in light of their population’s recovery. It is estimated that there are almost 80,000 whales today.

Help Protect Humpback Whales 

It’s ironic how these majestic and massive creatures need help from tiny humans, but we must take our responsibility seriously. If you spot someone hunting, planning to hunt, or harming humpback whales, report it to your local conservation authorities. In the US, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has a hotline for concerned citizens. In El Salvador, people can report threats to humpback whales via WhatsApp at +503 7859 1474 and via phone call at +503 7856 0266.

Also, never support unethical whale-watching organizations that cause distress to whales by approaching them too rapidly and closely. If you have your own vessel, always be on the lookout and be prepared to change course while sailing in humpback whales’ habitat.

Together, we can protect these lovely giants of the sea so that marine ecosystems can flourish and future generations can also appreciate their greatness.

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