A jaguar is a big cat. It is the largest cat in the Americas. Only lions and tigers are bigger. That makes the jaguar the third-largest cat in the world. Jaguars live in Central and South America. Some live in the Amazon.

Let us look at the coat. A jaguar's coat is covered with black rosettes. Rosettes are dark spots. The spots help a jaguar hide in forests and grasslands. The coat is usually pale yellow, tan or reddish yellow. Look at the spots.

Here is a clue to tell them apart. Jaguars and leopards are two kinds of cat. Leopards live in Africa and Asia. Jaguars live in the Americas. Now look inside the rosettes. A jaguar's rosettes often have a spot inside. A leopard's rosettes do not.

A jaguar is more heavily built than a leopard. It has a stockier body. It also has large, rounded paws that help it swim. Jaguars usually live near water, such as rivers and swamps. They are strong swimmers. When forests flood, jaguars swim from place to place.

Now let us see how a jaguar lives. Jaguars live alone. They mark their territory by clawing trees. They do most of their hunting at night. A jaguar hunts by sneaking close and then pouncing. It eats many kinds of animals, such as deer. Look at what it eats.

Now meet the cubs. A jaguar lives alone. A mother jaguar has one to four cubs at a time. The cubs are born with their eyes closed. The mother raises them alone. Young jaguars stay with their mother for about two years. Look at how the cubs grow.

Words to know

• rosettes: dark spots
• stockier: thicker, heavier
• pouncing: jumping at
• cubs: baby jaguars