Jaguar

Status

Near Threatened

Classification

Mammal

Exhibit

Big Cat Falls

Powerful Jaws

The jaguar has a heavy-built body and a very powerful jaw which it uses to strike down its prey in one bite. They kill their prey by chomping into its neck. They might also try to cut off its air by gripping its throat. Ouch!

Biggest Cat in the Western Hemisphere

Jaguars are the largest cats in the Western Hemisphere, and the third largest overall. Only lions and tigers are bigger.

Jaguars live most of their lives on their own. They enjoy hunting during the late night hours, climbing into trees to wait and pounce on their prey. In the wild, they live throughout Central and South America.

The irregular shapes within the rosette markings on a jaguar’s body (basically a spot within a spot) can be distinguished more easily on the jaguar than other spotted large cats, such as leopards or cheetahs.