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The jaguar is a compact and muscular animal. It is the largest cat native to the Americas and the third largest in the world, exceeded in size only by the tiger and the lion. [5] [34] [35] It stands 57 to 81 cm (22.4 to 31.9 in) tall at the shoulders.
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- They have a mighty name. The word 'jaguar' comes from the indigenous word 'yaguar', which means 'he who kills with one leap'. You’ll find out why later...
- Their territory is shrinking. Jaguars used to be found from the south-west USA, throughout South America to the central-southern part of Argentina. Now, they’ve been virtually eliminated from half of their historic range.
- They’re on the chunky side. The jaguar is the third biggest cat in the world - after the tiger and the lion - and is the largest cat in the Americas. They can grow up to 170cm long, not including their impressive tails which can be up to 80cm.
- They’ve got spotty spots. To the untrained eye, jaguars can be mistaken for leopards as they look similar, but you can tell the difference from their rosettes (circular markings): Jaguars have black dots in the middle of some of their rosettes, whereas leopards don’t.
Sep 13, 2024 · jaguar, (Panthera onca), largest New World member of the cat family (Felidae), found from northern Mexico southward to northern Argentina. Its preferred habitats are usually swamps and wooded regions, but jaguars also live in scrublands and deserts. The jaguar is virtually extinct in the northern part of its original range and survives in ...
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- What Is The Jaguar?
- Diet and Behavior
- Range and Habitat
- Threats to Survival
- Conservation
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Jaguars are the only big cat in the Americas and the third biggest in the world after tigers and lions. They look a lot like leopards, which live in Africa and Asia, but jaguars’ spots are more complex and often have a dotin the center. These powerful cats were worshipped as gods in many ancient South American cultures, and representations of the j...
Unlike many other cats, jaguars do not avoid water. In fact, they are quite good swimmers. They hunt fish, turtles, and even caimans, using their incredibly powerful jaws to pierce the animals’ skulls. Jaguars also eat deer, peccaries, capybaras, tapirs, and a number of other land animals, which they prefer to ambush at night. Jaguars live alone, a...
Jaguars once roamed broadly from central Argentina all the way up to the southwestern United States. Since the 1880s, they’ve lost more than half their territory. Their main stronghold today is the Amazon Basin, though they still exist in smaller numbers through Central America as well. They’re typically found in tropical rainforests but also live ...
Jaguars face a number of threats, including habitat fragmentation and illegal killing. South and Central America’s high rates of deforestation—for grazing land, agriculture, and other uses—have not only destroyed jaguars’ habitat but also broken it up. Fragmented forests mean that cats get boxed into patches of forest and can’t travel far to find n...
Jaguars are classified as near-threatened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The species has national protections in almost every country it’s found, and trade in its parts is banned by CITES, a global treaty that regulates the cross-border wildlife trade. Still, poaching and the illegal trade continues so strengthening law ...
Learn about the largest cat in the Americas, its diet, behavior, range, and threats. See stunning photos of jaguars in the wild and in captivity.
- 2 min
The Jaguar is one of the most elegant and elusive big cats found in the Americas. Hear Sean tell us more fascinating facts about this spotty cat.Visit our we...
- 4 min
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- WWF UK
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Learn about the jaguar, a powerful and majestic cat that lives in forests, grasslands, and wetlands across Latin America. Find out why jaguars are near threatened, what threats they face, and what WWF is doing to protect them and their habitats.
Learn about the jaguar, the largest big cat in the Americas and a vital predator in the Amazon ecosystem. Find out how WWF is monitoring and protecting this iconic species from threats such as deforestation, hunting, and poaching.
