The largest cat species found in the Amazon rainforest is the jaguar. Its scientific name is Panthera onca, and it is the biggest cat native to the Americas, although it ranks behind the tiger and lion in overall global size.
Jaguars are powerful, solitary predators that favor tropical and subtropical forests, wetlands, and wooded areas. They are excellent swimmers and hunt animals such as capybaras, peccaries, caimans, turtles, and fish. Their exceptionally strong bite can pierce turtle shells and, unusually among big cats, the skulls of some prey.
The jaguar's coat is usually golden or tan with dark rosettes, often containing spots inside them. Black jaguars are not a separate species; they are melanistic individuals whose patterns may still be visible in bright light. Jaguars once ranged into the southern United States, but today their strongest populations are in Central and South America, especially the Amazon Basin.