MORPHOMETRIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CAPTIVE AND WILD JAGUARS (Panthera onca) IN VENEZUELA

Resumen

In Venezuela, the earliest anecdotal record of a captive jaguar (Panthera onca) dates to a male housed in Maracay between 1918 and 1935. From 1996 to 2009, body measurements of 22 captive jaguars in Venezuelan zoos were recorded and compared with data from 25 wild jaguars published by Hoogesteijn and Mondolfi (1992). Morphometric analysis focused on head-and-body length (HBL), tail length (TL), total body length (TBL = HBL + TL), and body weight (BW). Measurements were obtained under anesthesia using a clock scale for BW. Sexes were analyzed separately, and descriptive statistics and Student's t-tests (p < 0.05) were applied to detect significant differences. Captive males exhibited 8.78% and 12.13% shorter TBL and HBL, respectively, compared to wild males, while no significant differences in BW were observed among females. Principal component analysis revealed distinct morphometric patterns between captive and wild populations. Body mass index (BMI) further highlighted body condition variations, with some captive males underweight, possibly due to dietary issues, while others exhibited excess fat, likely due to reduced physical activity. Simple linear regression and correlation analyses indicated that body weight variability explained by body length was 8.55% for males and 9.83% for females. These findings emphasize captivity's impact on jaguar morphology and underscore the importance of optimal husbandry practices. This study provides essential insights for captive management and conservation efforts aimed at maintaining physical and morphological integrity in jaguar populations.