The jaguar is the largest feline in the Americas.
Jaguars range from Mexico through Central and South America, with many populations living in tropical forests and wetlands. They are powerfully built cats, and large males can exceed 100 kilograms. Their spotted coats provide camouflage in broken light beneath the forest canopy.
Unlike many cats, jaguars are strong swimmers and often hunt near rivers, lakes, and flooded forests. Their prey includes fish, turtles, peccaries, and caimans. Jaguars have exceptionally strong jaws, and they are known for a distinctive killing bite that can pierce the skull or shell of some prey.
The name comes from an Indigenous word often interpreted as meaning “true” or “real beast,” though its precise linguistic history is complex. Jaguars are sometimes confused with leopards, but jaguar rosettes commonly contain central spots, while leopard rosettes usually do not.