The Fiercest Hunters: Why Jaguars Prey on Caimans (Video)

Jaguars do something that no other big cat does. Instead of biting their prey at the neck, the most vulnerable spot, they crush their skulls. They can do this effortlessly, as they have the strongest bite force among big cats. An average 100-kilogram jaguar can exert 6922 newtons of force with its molars. The animal with the strongest bite force in the world is the crocodile, with 16,460 newtons. Yet, this does not deter the spotted cat from hunting its kind!

Jaguars can pull 50-60 kilogram caimans out of the water with their teeth as if they were pulling a feather from a puddle. Furthermore, they can carry the prey up a tree to protect it from other predators. It’s no wonder they are often described as leopards on steroids. They are talented climbers, excellent swimmers, and capable runners, reaching speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour. Though this is not as fast as a cheetah’s 128 kilometers per hour, jaguars are still formidable. Let’s explore why jaguars frequently hunt caimans.

Why do jaguars hunt caimans?

It might seem strange that jaguars often hunt such large and dangerous prey, especially in the Pantanal, South America’s largest wetland area. However, the explanation is simple: the abundance of caimans makes them an easy food source for these wild cats. Their abundance outweighs the undeniable danger they pose compared to other reptiles or mammals. But that’s not all!

It is important to note that even if certain prey species are abundant, it does not mean they will be hunted. For example, a lion is unlikely to take down an adult giraffe in Africa’s grassy plains, although it has happened before. However, these cats have particularly adapted to hunting crocodilian species.

How do jaguars catch caimans?

These rosette-patterned big cats are excellent swimmers, a skill that is highly useful in their seasonally flooded ecosystem. They live a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Another advantage is their exceptional adaptation to hunting neotropical reptiles. In addition to caimans, they hunt larger crocodiles and show no mercy to turtles and even anacondas, giant snakes.

The combat is not as smooth here as seen in the following footage, but the tour guide who filmed it said they had never witnessed such a fight before.

After the last ice age, there was a significant decline in the number of large animals that once roamed the tropical American savannas, such as giant sloths, bear-sized capybaras, and horse-sized tapirs. As a result, jaguars, which have since decreased in size, had to find other abundant food sources. This is where these armored reptiles came into play, which they could catch thanks to their incredibly strong jaws developed through evolution.

When hunting such heavily armored and dangerous animals, precision and strength are crucial. They must land on the prey with a single leap and ideally incapacitate it with a single bite to the back of the skull, damaging the brain and paralyzing the nervous system. This technique minimizes the chances of injury.

In the video, the jaguar can be seen stealthily navigating the flooded area without making a splash. Upon attacking the caiman, the prey immediately goes limp, indicating the bite paralyzed its nervous system.

What is the ecological role of this behavior?

Like all predator-prey relationships, the jaguars’ hunting of caimans significantly impacts the balance of the ecosystems they inhabit. It’s no surprise that these big cats often target weaker, sicker individuals. This ensures healthier caiman populations and reduces the risk of population decline.

Hunting caimans also regulates the amount of food they consume. Adult male caimans, for example, might cannibalize younger individuals at the end of the dry season due to resource scarcity. They also eat large quantities of fish, so jaguars’ predation helps maintain healthy fish populations. Thus, by fulfilling their role as apex predators, jaguars directly and indirectly support ecosystem regulation.