American Jaguar: Big Cats, Biogeography, and Human Borders

by Elizabeth Webb

Overview

In the borderlands between the United States and Mexico, America's largest cat—the jaguar—is fighting to regain its kingdom. Added to the endangered species list in 1997, the jaguar has declined in population mainly due to habitat fragmentation created by roads, farms, mines, and most controversially, the border wall. Such human-made barriers prevent free movement of many wild animals for predation and mating, thereby threatening their reproduction, DNA transfer, and overall survival. Author and wildlife biologist Elizabeth Webb examines the jaguar's predicament and highlights the work of field scientists who are searching for solutions. "Conservation Connection" features throughout the book underscore the importance of protecting this keystone species of the Americas.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781541572201
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/02/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	128
File size:	15 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	13 - 14 Years

About the Author

Elizabeth Webb is a writer living in New Mexico, not far from the where the Borderlands jaguars roam. She's spent much of her adult life exploring and photographing the plants and animals of the Desert Southwest. This is her first book for young people.

Table of Contents

Introduction Welcome to the Borderlands 5

Chapter 1 Ruler of the Sky Islands 9

Chapter 2 The All-American Cat 25

Chapter 3 A Fragmented Land 43

Chapter 4 The Men WHO Studied Islands 53

Chapter 5 How to Put the World Back Together 61

Chapter 6 Safe Haven, Safe Passage 73

Chapter 7 Crossing Borders 87

Chapter 8 Think Big, Think Local 105

Glossary 114

Source Notes 116

Selected Bibliography 117

Index 125

Editorial Reviews

"A powerful call to protect our Earth and its vulnerable creatures."—starred, Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

★ 2021-07-28
Using the jaguar as its touchstone, this thorough, well-organized book explores the challenges wildlife face in today’s world of human-created habitat fragmentation.

The book begins with the fascinating fact that there are indeed jaguars living in the United States—specifically the Sky Islands, high mountain ranges separated by desert in Arizona and New Mexico. But the jaguars are in trouble: Their need for vast areas of pristine habitat is threatened by human behavior. Deforestation, physical boundaries between nations, and highways, among other factors, compromise their ability to roam with the freedom they need to survive. The main story is bolstered with fascinating adjuncts—the evolution of big cats, the beginning of the conservation movement, the intricacies of DNA, and the dangers of a closed gene pool, for example. As the narrative progresses, other threatened species and their habitats are introduced (e.g., orangutans in Borneo, monarch butterflies’ migration paths, and amphibians and vernal pools). A few conservation success stories are sprinkled in, but the uncertain fates of many of Earth’s wild creatures are presented realistically and not sugarcoated. The book does end with hope, encouraging readers to become conservation activists and offering a list of actions to take, an extensive bibliography, and other sources of information. Latinx scientists are featured as well as White. Illustrated with full-color photos, this book will educate and motivate readers.

A powerful call to protect our Earth and its vulnerable creatures. (glossary, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews