Historical records of the Jaguar (Linnaeus, 1758) (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil

We compiled and analysed 16 historical photographic records of the Jaguar Panthera onca in the state of Santa Catarina before 1985, most of which have not been published in scientific literature. These records obtained from personal collections, newspapers, and public institutions cover more than a century and reveal a broad geographic distribution of the Jaguar in the state prior to its possible local extinction. The greatest concentration of records was registered in the extreme west and west of Santa Catarina (56.25%), followed by Itajaí Valley and northern plateau (25%), northeastern (12.5%), and the southern highlands (6.25%). Eight records are located less than 150 km off the Argentinian border. Thirteen records represent hunted individuals and three individuals were captured alive. The localities with records include Joinville, Corupá, Blumenau, Itapiranga, Fraiburgo, Taió, Sul Brasil, Guaraciaba, Paraíso, Anchieta, Cunha Porã, Urubici, and Campo Erê. The latter, registered in 1984, represents the most recent evidence of the Jaguar in the state. Our compilation provides a new historical base on the distribution of the Jaguar in Santa Catarina, suggesting that hunting, associated with habitat loss and fragmentation and reduction of natural prey, played a significant role in the Jaguar’s likely extinction in the state.