Jaguars are the largest cat and the largest carnivorous mammal in the Western Hemisphere, with males reaching almost 7 feet in length and weighing up to 200 pounds.

Males are solitary and defend territories of up to 50 square miles, coming together with females in overlapping ranges to mate. When jaguars capture an animal, they use their powerful jaws and massive canine teeth to pierce the skull of their prey. Other large cats typically kill by biting the neck of their prey. Jaguars were believed to be almost exclusively nocturnal hunters until recent field research revealed that they also actively hunt during the day and spend many more hours of each day hunting than most other wild cats, up to 60% of their 24-hour days. Jaguars are good swimmers and seem to love water.

Jaguar populations are considered threatened and declining.