Amazon Biodiversity & Carbon (ABC) / Expeditions During mating, sounds and smells appear to matter more than colorAmazon Biodiversity & Carbon (ABC) / Expeditions
Cameras in a national park in Pará captured a sexual encounter between a male spotted jaguar (yellow with black spots) and a black female, the rarest variation of the Panthera onca species. The footage is valuable because it was previously believed that jaguars with different colored coats live separately. It also allows researchers to compare the reproductive behavior of wild animals with those kept in captivity. There are similarities. In under five minutes, the pair engaged in two copulations that included approach, penetration, and vocalizations such as grunts from the male, who at one point appeared to bite the female’s neck. She showed signs of receptiveness, such as lowering herself to the ground and moving her tail to the side. Afterward, she lay on her back, displaying nipples that suggested she might have been lactating. It is possible that her behavior served to conceal or protect her cubs. Color differences do not appear to influence sexual behavior, which likely depends more on auditory and olfactory stimuli than visual cues (Ecology and Evolution, August 25).
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