Jaguar - Panthera onca - Facts

The jaguar is the largest cat in the Americas. The jaguar has a compact body, a broad head and powerful jaws. Its coat is normally yellow and tan, but the color can vary from reddish brown to black. The spots on the coat are more solid and black on the head and neck and become larger rosette-shaped patterns along the side and back of the body.

Go Wild!

Save Jaguars from extinction!

Diet

Jaguars are known to eat deer, peccary, crocodiles, snakes, monkeys, deer, sloths, tapirs, turtles, eggs, frogs, fish and anything else it can catch.

Population

The total number of jaguars throughout their range is unknown.

Range

The jaguar can be found in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas and from Mexico all the way down to Patagonia. It is rare in the United States and is a federal endangered species. See a jaguar range map >>

Behavior

The jaguar makes its home in a wide-variety of habitats including deciduous forests, rainforests, swamps, pampas grasslands and mountain scrub areas. They are solitary animals and live and hunt alone, except during mating season. The male's home range is between 19-53 square miles. The female's home range is between 10-37 square miles. A male jaguar may share his home range with several females. He will aggressively protect his home range from other males to ensure that any females in his territory mate only with him.

The jaguar hunts mostly on the ground, but it sometimes climbs a tree and pounces on its prey from above. It has very powerful jaws and sharp teeth and usually kills its prey with one crushing bite to the skull. Unlike most big cats, the jaguar loves the water. It often swims, bathes and plays in streams and pools. It will also hunt for fish in the water.

Scientists classify cats by their voice boxes. All members of the big cat family can roar, but other cats can't. The jaguar makes a roar that sounds like a deep, chesty cough.

Reproduction
Mating Season: Occurs year-round.
Gestation: 90-110 days.
Litter size: 1-4 kittens.
Kittens stay with their mother from 1-1.5 years.

Threats

Human population growth and agricultural expansion, as well as hunting and poaching by livestock ranchers. They are considered endangered throughout their entire range.

Reasons For Hope

Defenders of Wildlife has worked extensively to make sure the remaining jaguar populations are protected. In March 2009, we achieved a major victory when a court case Defenders had brought against the federal government was ruled on in our favor. The federal court for the District of Arizona ruled that endangered jaguars deserve the full protection of the Endangered Species Act. This will require the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to take a second look at its decision not to develop a recovery plan or designate critical habitat for the jaguar. Read the press release >>

Legal Status/Protection

• Endangered Species Act (ESA): Jaguars are listed as endangered.
• IUCN Red List: Near threatened. The jaguar is still an abundant species, but is threatened by habitat loss and persecution. Due to loss of habitat, poaching of prey and fragmentation of populations across portions of the range, this species is considered to be near threatened.
• CITES: Jaguars are listed in Appendix I.
• Learn more about legal status and protection of jaguars >>

How You Can Help

• Help Jaguars and other wildlife by adopting a jaguar today at our Wildlife Adoption Center.
• Take Action for Wildlife at our Wildlife Action Center.

For additional information

Visit Defenders' Imperiled Species: Jaguar pages for more information about what Defenders is doing to help.

Read an Obituary for Macho B - "Arizona's Jaguar"
Northern Jaguar Project