The Jaguar (Panthera onca) is the largest species of the New World cat family and the third largest in the world just behind the tiger and lion. Preferring to live in swamps and wooded areas, the largest population of jaguars is resides in the Amazon rainforest.
The Jaguar closely resembles the Leopard due to its fur color being either gold or black and its rosette pattern for camouflage, however the Jaguar is larger in build and has spots inside of its rosettes. The name ‘jaguar’ comes from the Indian ‘yaguar’ meaning, “he who kills with one leap.” Noted as an apex predator, the Jaguar stalks and jumps its prey and is known to be a skillful climber and swimmer.
Jaguars have a shoulder height between 27”-31” (69-79 cm), body length of 4’10”-6’ (147-183 cm), and weight in the range of 80-250 lb (36-113 kg). The tail of a Jaguar is 18”-32” (46-81 cm) in length. Jaguars have a typical lifespan of 8-15 years in the wild and up to 18-25 years in captivity.
The Jaguar (Panthera onca) is the largest species of the New World cat family and the third largest in the world just behind the tiger and lion. Preferring to live in swamps and wooded areas, the largest population of jaguars is resides in the Amazon rainforest.
The Jaguar closely resembles the Leopard due to its fur color being either gold or black and its rosette pattern for camouflage, however the Jaguar is larger in build and has spots inside of its rosettes. The name ‘jaguar’ comes from the Indian ‘yaguar’ meaning, “he who kills with one leap.” Noted as an apex predator, the Jaguar stalks and jumps its prey and is known to be a skillful climber and swimmer.
Jaguars have a shoulder height between 27”-31” (69-79 cm), body length of 4’10”-6’ (147-183 cm), and weight in the range of 80-250 lb (36-113 kg). The tail of a Jaguar is 18”-32” (46-81 cm) in length. Jaguars have a typical lifespan of 8-15 years in the wild and up to 18-25 years in captivity.