The jaguar is the third-largest living cat species, after the tiger and lion.
Its scientific name is Panthera onca, and it is the largest cat native to the Americas. Jaguars are stocky, muscular ambush predators, with especially powerful jaws that can pierce the shells of turtles and the skulls of some mammalian prey.
The species ranges from parts of the southwestern United States and Mexico through Central America and the Amazon Basin to Paraguay and northern Argentina. Unlike most cats, jaguars are strong swimmers and frequently use wetlands, rivers, and flooded forests. They are usually solitary and defend individual territories.
Jaguars are sometimes confused with leopards because both have spotted coats. Jaguars, however, are generally heavier and have rosettes that often contain central spots. The species has been listed as Near Threatened since 2002, with habitat loss, fragmentation, poaching, and conflict with ranchers among its major threats.