jaguars
The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a New World feline and one of four "big cats" in the Panthera genus, along with
the tiger, lion, and leopard of the Old World. It is the only Panthera found in the New World. The jaguar is the third-largest feline
after the tiger and the lion, and on average the largest and most powerful feline in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range
extends from Mexico across much of Central America and south to Paraguay and northern Argentina. Other than occasional visits from
wandering jaguars from Mexico, the cat has largely been extirpated from the United States since the early 1970s.
This spotted cat most closely resembles the leopard physically, although it is usually larger and of sturdier build and its behavioural
and habitat characteristics are closer to those of the tiger. While dense rainforest is its preferred habitat, the jaguar will range
across a variety of forested and open terrain. It is strongly associated with the presence of water and is notable, along with the
tiger, as a feline that enjoys swimming. The jaguar is a largely solitary, stalk-and-ambush predator, and is opportunistic in prey
selection. It is also an apex and keystone predator, playing an important role in stabilizing ecosystems and regulating the populations
of prey species. The jaguar has developed an exceptionally powerful bite, even relative to the other big cats. This allows it to pierce
the shells of armoured reptiles and to employ an unusual killing method: it bites directly through the skull of prey between the ears to
deliver a fatal blow to the brain.
The jaguar is a near threatened species and its numbers are declining. Threats include habitat loss and fragmentation. While international
trade in jaguars or their parts is prohibited, the cat is still regularly killed by humans, particularly in conflicts with ranchers and
farmers in South America. Although reduced, its range remains large; given its historical distribution, the jaguar has featured prominently
in the mythology of numerous indigenous American cultures, including that of the Maya and Aztec.