The largest cat in the Americas — adult males up to 250+ pounds. A small breeding population reportedly remains in northern Mexico with occasional sightings in southern Arizona's sky islands.

Also called: El Tigre

Native status: Native; historically southwestern US, now nearly extirpated north of Mexico

§ Quick facts

SizeBody 1.1–1.9 m (3.6–6.2 ft); shoulder height 63–76 cm; tail 45–80 cm
WeightMales 56–96 kg (124–212 lb); largest documented over 140 kg
LifespanWild 12–15 years; captive 20+
OrderCarnivora
FamilyFelidae

§ Encyclopedia

The jaguar is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus Panthera that is native to the Americas. Its distinctively marked coat features pale yellow to tan colored fur covered by spots that transition to rosettes on the sides, although a melanistic black coat appears in some individuals. With a body length of up to 1.85 m and a weight of up to 158 kg (348 lb), it is the biggest cat species in the Americas and the third largest in the world. The jaguar's powerful bite allows it to pierce the carapaces of turtles and tortoises, and to employ an unusual killing method: it bites directly through the skull of mammalian prey between the ears to deliver a fatal blow to the brain.

Source: Wikipedia — Jaguar Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

§ Identification

Field marks. Largest cat in the Americas. Rosette pattern with central spots inside the rosettes (vs. leopard, which lacks the central spots). Massive head; short, muscular legs.

Similar species. Leopard (Africa/Asia; rosettes lack central spots). Ocelot (much smaller). No range overlap with leopard.

Voice. Sawing cough-like roar; grunts, snarls, hisses.

§ Diet & behavior

Diet. Apex predator. Capybara, peccary, deer, caimans, large fish, monkeys, sloths, turtles. Among the few cats that kill by piercing skull bite.

Behavior. Solitary. Excellent swimmer; one of few cats that hunts in water. Marks territory with scratched trees and scent. Largely nocturnal in human-impacted areas, more diurnal in remote regions.

§ Range

Historically southwestern US (AZ, NM); now mainly Mexico and Central/South America

§ Habitat

Riparian forests, sky-island woodlands, dense brush

§ Threats

Border wall fragmenting migration corridors, habitat loss, retaliatory killing for livestock predation.

§ Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, the jaguar is currently classified as Near Threatened.

§ What helps

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§ Further reading

§ Sources cited

  • Northern Jaguar Project
  • Panthera
  • USFWS Jaguar Recovery
  • IUCN Red List 2018