Animal Talk Magazine Issue 3

CARIB WILD

A Conversation with, Eleutherodactylus Johnstonie

Written By: Jacqueline Clarke

Written By: Karen Stiell Photography: Steve Winter/Panthera

The Guyana Jaguar

Native to The Americas, in the Caribbean region the Jaguar has made Guyana its home, living in the dense rainforest which covers 80% of the country.

Solitary by nature, Jaguars live in woodland and forest regions, where the deep foliage creates the perfect camouflage and keeps them hidden from their only natural predator, man. Jaguars will however venture into desert areas, and open terrains when hunting prey. As one of the few cats that are comfortable in water, they have been known to hunt crocodiles.

Jaguars only come together to mate, and once the gestation period of 93 – 105 days is over, [typically two to four are born at a time], the female Jaguar chases the male away to prevent infanticide. The cubs are born blind with their eyes opening at around two weeks of age, and the mother weans them up to three months. When the cubs reach six months, they leave the birth den and accompany her on hunts to gain valuable hunting and survival skills. Cubs will stay with the mother for up to two years, before establishing their own territory.

Jaguars are obligate carnivores, feeding only on meat, with a need to consume on average 5lb of meat a day, although they have been known to consume up to 55lbs of meat after a large kill, then nothing for days or weeks afterwards.

They employ a ‘stalk and ambush’ method of attack, rather than the chase and attack of lions and other big cats. A Jaguar will creep down forest trails, listening for prey, then spring a surprise attack from the cover of the undergrowth as the spotted coat provides the perfect camouflage. It is considered by many conservationists to be unmatched at the ambush technique,

reigning at the top of the food chain within the region.

Whilst, the main-kill method employed by the Jaguar is the typical ‘deep throat and suffocation’ technique, it is unique amongst big cats in employing an alternative technique, where it pierces directly through the temporal bones of the skull between the ears of prey with its canine teeth, piercing the brain. This is particularly effective on prey with hard protective shells, such as turtles.

Jaguars very rarely attack humans, but in recent times such attacks have increased, due to human encroachment on their habitat and dwindling numbers of prey. The Jaguar is considered to be a keystone species in the region and is responsible for maintaining levels of prey species, keeping them under control, while maintaining the structural integrity of the forest eco systems.

In recent times their numbers have dwindled, and the Jaguar is now considered Near Threatened, by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, meaning it may be threatened with extinction in the near future. This is due primarily to historical poaching for the skins in the 1960s and deforestation across its habitat. To combat this threat, various conservation bodies have been formed to study the Jaguar in more detail and educate local populations who may find themselves living alongside this beautiful creature.

In a further attempt to protect the Jaguar, Guyana’s Environment Ministry signed an agreement with Panthera, a New York based wildcat conservationist group, under which countries will seek to form a “Jaguar corridor” that would ultimately connect Jaguar populations from Mexico to Argentina.

The Jaguar is one of the most beautiful of the big cats, with its distinct spotted coat and large sturdy physique.

Conservation for the Jaguar

Guyana is one of the few places where Jaguars still thrive due to the vast expanse of natural habitat that remains well connected. But this picture is changing rapidly due to increasing road access, generally started by the logging and mining industries. This affects the availability not only of habitat, but also of prey due to hunting, and increases conflict between people and jaguars. Panthera collaborates with the Guyana government and other conservation organizations to address the issues of overhunting and conflict through research, education and sharing of information on practical conservation solutions, based on extensive experience from Panthera’s Jaguar Corridor Initiative.

Type:

Mammal

Diet:

Carnivore

Average Life Span:

12 to 15 years (in the wild)

Size Head and Body:

5 to 6 ft (1.5 to 1.8 m);

Size Tail:

27.5 to 36 in (70 to 91 cm)

Weight:

100 to 250 lbs (45 to 113 kg)

Protection Status:

Near Threatened

Size relative to a 6’ft (2’m) man

For more information on the work Panthera are doing to help big cats in the world please visit their website: www.panthera.org

Animal Talk would like to thank Dr. Evi Paemelaere, Guyana Jaguar Program Coordinator for Panthera the global wild cat conservation organization for his contribution to this article.

On the island of Barbados, nightfall is celebrated by the chorus of a million whistling frogs, filling the evening with their music. Determined to see this unique amphibian, I rose early one morning and waited, and at the crack of dawn as the nightly orchestra gave way to the morning songs of the birds, I was rewarded by a Whistling Frog hurrying to hide away from the days heat.

‘Good morning, could you spare a moment and tell me some interesting details about yourself?’ ‘Make it quick lest I desiccate.’

‘May I ask your name?’ ‘Eleutherodactylus johnstonei or more commonly known, I’m a Whistling Frog.’

‘What is the whistling sound you make?’ ‘It’s actually a two toned call that only the males make.’

‘Why do they make it?’ ‘The males are calling to attract females, advertising that they have a suitable place where a female can lay her eggs. Males will fertilize the eggs and often babysit them until they hatch three weeks later.’

‘How are you different from other species of frogs?’ ‘Our lifecycle is different, and we undergo what is called ‘direct development’. Eggs are laid on land or in the bracts of vegetation, not in a pond, like other frogs. Each egg will contain one tadpole, and the tadpole never leaves the egg, but undergoes metamorphosis within the eggshell. When the egg hatches, there sits a very tiny, fully formed frog looking much like myself.’

‘How many eggs does a whistling frog lay?’ ‘Between 20-40, and we guard them by eating any bugs that come along.’

‘Are bugs your usual diet?’ ‘Yes, we eat ants, isopods, spiders and termites.’

By now the sun was climbing high in the sky, heating the air; it was time for our interview to end. Suddenly from the corner of my eye I caught a swift movement, a pale shadow, wings expanded and orange beak open. It was a Bubulcus Ibis, better known as a Cattle Egret. With not a second to spare my friend disappeared into some undergrowth. I hoped to see him again, but as the Cattle Egret dove after him, I wasn’t so sure.

*Desiccate, means to ‘dry out.’

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‘The males are calling to attract females, advertising that they have a suitable place where a female can lay her eggs. Males will fertilize the eggs and often babysit them until they hatch three weeks later.’