The jaguar is the largest cat in the Americas. Around the world, only lions and tigers are bigger. So the jaguar is the third-largest cat in the world. Jaguars live in Central and South America, in places such as the Amazon. A typical adult jaguar weighs between about 100 and 250 pounds. The head and body of an adult jaguar measure up to about 6 feet, not counting the tail.

A jaguar's coat is usually pale yellow, tan or reddish yellow, with black rosettes. Rosettes are dark spots. The spotted coat helps a jaguar hide in forests and grasslands. Some jaguars are black. They are called melanistic jaguars.

Leopards live in Africa and Asia, and jaguars live in the Americas. They are two kinds of cat. Look inside the rosettes. The rosettes of a jaguar often have a spot inside. The rosettes of a leopard do not. A jaguar is more heavily built than a leopard, with a stockier body. It also has a shorter, thicker tail. "Black panther" is a name for black leopards and black jaguars. It is not a separate kind of cat.

Jaguars usually live near water, such as rivers and swamps. They live in tropical rainforests, and also in swamps, grasslands and dry places. Jaguars are strong swimmers. They have large, rounded paws that help them swim. Look at where jaguars live.

Jaguars do most of their hunting at night. A jaguar hunts by sneaking close and then pouncing. Jaguars eat many kinds of animals, such as deer. Jaguars have eaten more than 85 kinds of animals. Look at what jaguars eat.

Jaguars live alone. They mark their territory by clawing trees. 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.

Words to know

• rosettes: dark spots
• melanistic: colored black
• territory: its own area
• pouncing: jumping at
• rainforests: wet, thick forests

The short version

A jaguar is the largest cat in the Americas and the third-largest cat in the world, after lions and tigers. It lives in Central and South America. A jaguar is more heavily built than a leopard, and its rosettes often have a spot inside, while a leopard's rosettes do not.

Quick facts

• The jaguar is the largest cat in the Americas.
• Only lions and tigers are bigger than the jaguar.
• Leopards live in Africa and Asia, and jaguars live in the Americas.
• The rosettes of a jaguar often have a spot inside. The rosettes of a leopard do not.
• "Black panther" is a name for black leopards and black jaguars.