Average lifespan in the wild: 12 to 15 years
Size: Head and body, 5 to 6 ft (1.5 to 1.8 m); Tail, 27.5 to 36 in (70 to 91 cm)
Weight: 100 to 250 lbs (45 to 113 kg)
Protection status: Endangered
The jaguar is the largest feline on the American continent, with jaguars also being the third biggest cat in the world behind the African lion and the Asian tiger. Jaguars have the strongest bite force of all the cats and like other pantherines they can roar. The jaguar is a proficient hunter of a variety of small and large vertebrates on the ground and in the trees.
What does a jaguar look like?
The jaguar is the New World's only large cat species. It looks like a leopard, but it has whorled spots with dark centers. It is a stout, powerful, big-headed animal. Most jaguars are tan or orange with distinctive black spots, dubbed "rosettes" because they are shaped like roses. Some jaguars are so dark they appear to be spotless, though their markings can be seen on closer inspection.
Where do jaguar live?
The jaguaris found in watery habitats such as swampland and frequently flooded forests throughout central and northern South America. The jaguar is threatened by competition with domestic species, hunting and habitat loss. Jaguars are the largest of South America's big cats. They once roamed from the southern tip of that continent north to the region surrounding the U.S.-Mexico border. Today significant numbers of jaguars are found only in remote regions of South and Central America. Particularly in the Amazon basin.
What does a jaguar eat?
Unlike many other cats, jaguars do not avoid water; in fact, they are quite good swimmers. Rivers provide prey in the form of fish, turtles, or caimans (small, alligatorlike animals). Jaguars also eat larger animals such as deer, peccaries, capybaras, and tapirs. They sometimes climb trees to prepare an ambush, killing their prey with one powerful bite.
Did you know this about jaguars?
The jaguar has the strongest jaw muscles, relative to size, of any big cat. Its jaws are so powerful that it can crack open hard turtle shells with ease.
The jaguar's range overlaps with the cougar in some areas. Here, the jaguar tends to prey on larger animals while the cougar takes the smaller. However, for the most part jaguars don't tolerate cougars in their territory.
Download free Jaguar wallpapers, click on the image to open the large version.
Jaguar wallpaper 1
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Jaguar Coloring pages
Print free Jaguar coloring pages, click on the image to open the large version.