The scientific name of the jaguar, a major predator in the Amazon Rainforest, is Panthera onca.
The jaguar is the largest cat species in the Americas and the only living Panthera species native to the region. Its range extends from Mexico through Central and South America, although habitat loss has reduced and fragmented many populations.
Jaguars are powerful swimmers and often hunt near rivers, wetlands, and forest edges. Their exceptionally strong jaws allow them to pierce the shells of turtles and the skulls of some prey, a hunting ability unusual among large cats.
The jaguar is sometimes confused with the leopard because both have rosette markings. Jaguars, however, are generally stockier, and many rosettes contain central spots. Leopards are native to Africa and Asia, not the Amazon.