🐆 Jaguar vs Shortfin mako 🦈
The shortfin mako is about twice as long as the jaguar. They are about the same.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐆 Jaguar | 🦈 Shortfin mako |
|---|---|---|
| Size The shortfin mako is about twice as long as the jaguar. | 4.9 to 7.9 ft1.5 to 2.4 m1 | 10 to 12 ft3.2 to 3.8 m2 |
| Top speed Neither has a checked number yet. | no checked number yet | no checked number yet |
| Weight They are about the same. | 79 to 348 lb36 to 158 kg1 | 132 to 298 lb60 to 135 kg2 |
| Lives The shortfin mako usually lives about twice as long as the jaguar. | 10 to 15 years10 to 15 years1 | 29 to 32 years29 to 32 years2 |
| Eats The jaguar eats meat; the shortfin mako eats fish. | capybaras, deer, fish, turtles and caimans | mostly fish such as bluefish, plus squid |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | the rainforests and wetlands of Central and South America | open ocean in warm and cool seas around the world, mostly near the surface |
Which one? Jaguar or shortfin mako
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the jaguar or the shortfin mako yet, so there is no race.
We only race. Real animals mostly avoid each other. A race is the only fair contest: who reaches the tree first, by top speed. Our face-off books compare real numbers, and nobody gets hurt.
10 things to know about Jaguar vs Shortfin mako
- The jaguar: The biggest cat in the Americas, and it loves to swim.
- The shortfin mako: A sleek open-ocean shark that travels far across the sea.
- They are different kinds of animal. The jaguar is a mammal, so it breathes air with lungs and feeds its babies milk; the shortfin mako is a fish, so it breathes with gills.
- The shortfin mako is about twice as long as the jaguar: 2 against 1.
- They are about the same. That is 1 for the jaguar and 2 for the shortfin mako.
- The shortfin mako usually lives about twice as long as the jaguar. Usual lifespans: 1 for the jaguar and 2 for the shortfin mako.
- The jaguar eats capybaras, deer, fish, turtles and caimans. The shortfin mako eats mostly fish such as bluefish, plus squid.
- The jaguar lives in the rainforests and wetlands of Central and South America. The shortfin mako lives in open ocean in warm and cool seas around the world, mostly near the surface. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
- The jaguar: doing fine, for now (Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List). 3
- The shortfin mako: in danger (Endangered on the IUCN Red List). 4
Wow facts
🐆 Jaguar
- A jaguar is a strong swimmer and often hunts in rivers.
- Every jaguar has its own pattern of spots.
- Some jaguars are all black, but their spots still show in the sun.
🦈 Shortfin mako
- A shortfin mako travels very long distances.
- Females are bigger than males.
- It lives in warm and cool seas around the world.
Questions kids ask about Jaguar and Shortfin mako
Which is bigger, jaguar or shortfin mako?
The shortfin mako is about twice as long as the jaguar: 2 against 1.
Which is heavier, jaguar or shortfin mako?
They are about the same. That is 1 for the jaguar and 2 for the shortfin mako.
Which lives longer, jaguar or shortfin mako?
The shortfin mako usually lives about twice as long as the jaguar. Usual lifespans: 1 for the jaguar and 2 for the shortfin mako.
What do jaguar and shortfin mako eat?
The jaguar eats capybaras, deer, fish, turtles and caimans. The shortfin mako eats mostly fish such as bluefish, plus squid.
Where do jaguar and shortfin mako live?
The jaguar lives in the rainforests and wetlands of Central and South America. The shortfin mako lives in open ocean in warm and cool seas around the world, mostly near the surface. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
Who would win, jaguar or shortfin mako?
We never show fights, because a fight is not a fair way to compare animals. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. What we can compare is how big, how heavy, how fast, how long they live and what they eat, as above.
📤 Share this pair
The link carries only the two animals’ names: peabody.kids/animals/compare/jaguar-vs-mako-shark
Where these numbers come from
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Jaguar species profile, checked 30 October 2026.
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Isurus oxyrinchus (shortfin mako), checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.