The jaguar animal (Panthera onca) is a big cat found in South America and the southern parts of the North American continent. The jaguar animal is the most powerful cat in the Americas and one of the larger members of the cat family Felidae. Since it has a round head and sturdy body shape, it is sometimes referred to as the “bulldog” of the feline world.

The jaguar animal is considered a so called “big cat”, together with other famous –and even bigger – large cats such as lions and tigers. The jaguar animal will typically reach a length of 1.62 to1.83 meters (5.3 to 6 feet); not counting the tail which usually is around 75 centimetres (30 inches) long. The shoulder height of the jaguar animal is usually between 67 and 76 cm (27 and 30 inches). The biggest known jaguar specimens weighed over 150 kg (333lb), but most jaguars stay around 56-96 kg (124-211 lb). The female jaguar is usually around 20 percent smaller than the male jaguar. The jaguars living in Central America and Mexico are usually smaller compared to jaguars from other regions. A male jaguar animal from this region will rarely grow bigger than 56 kg (123 lb), while females tend to stay around 40 kg (90 lb).

The jaguar similar looks similar to the leopard, but the jaguar animal is heavier and has a more sturdy body shape. You can also tell the two cats apart by looking at the so called rosettes. The rosettes are black rings that sometimes encircle the characteristic spots found on several wild cats. The leopard has similar markings, but will rarely display rosettes with spots inside them. The rosettes will also be smaller on the leopard, while the jaguar animal has bigger and fewer rosettes of a darker colour. Thicker lines that encircle small spots are very common on the jaguar animal.  

The background coating of the jaguar animal will usually have an orange or yellow shade. The profusion of dark rosettes and spots will therefore contrast sharply against the paler background. You can however encounter jaguars where the markings are virtually invisible, since the background coating is black instead of yellow/orange. This condition is called melanism, and a jaguar animal that has the condition is called a black panther. The black panther is therefore not a cat species; it is a leopard variant. If you look closely, you can actually see the rosettes and spots even on the black panther.

The male jaguar animal will become sexually mature when it is 3-4 years old, while the female jaguar animal usually reaches sexual maturity at the age of 2-3. The normal gestation period for the jaguar animal is 90-110 days and a jaguar litter can consist of up to four young ones. Newborn jaguars have closed eyes and will not be able to see until they are roughly two weeks old. They will stay with their mother until they are two years old. After this, they must start searching for their own territory. Depending on habitat, a jaguar animal will claim a territory that comprises from 25 to 150 square kilometres. In the wild, the jaguar animal rarely grows older than 11 years. Jaguars that are well cared for in captivity can reach an age of 20 years.

More info on big and small wild cats:

Bengal Tigers
White Bengal Tigers
Royal Bengal Tigers
Bengal Tigers Facts
Jaguar Cats
Black Jaguar (Animal)
Jaguar Animal Facts
Ocelot - Ocelot cat
Ocelot facts & Information
Siberian Tiger
White Siberian Tiger
Siberian Tiger Habitat
Siberian Tiger Fact
Siberian Tiger Information
Snow Leopard
Snow Leopard Habitat
Snow Leopard Fact
Endangered Snow Leopard
White Tigers
White Bengal Tigers
White Siberian Tigers
Baby White Tigers