AnimalsThe jaguar is the largest cat of the Americas. It looks like a stocky leopard, but its rosettes have spots inside them. Jaguars are fond of water and swim well. They have a very powerful bite for their size.
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Panthera onca
- Group
- Mammals
- Diet
- Carnivore (eats other animals)
- Lives in
- Central and South America
- Habitat
- Rainforest, swamps and grassland
- A young one is called
- cub
- A group is called
- no special name
- Conservation status
- Near Threatened
How it is classified
Scientists sort living things into groups within groups. Reading down, each step is a smaller group, ending with the species itself.
- Kingdom Animalia
- Phylum Chordata
- Class Mammalia
- Order Carnivora
- Family Felidae
- Genus Panthera
- Species Panthera onca
Other members of the family Felidae on this site: cheetah, domestic cat, leopard, lion, snow leopard, tiger.
More distant relatives in the order Carnivora: brown bear, dog, giant panda, polar bear, red fox, red panda, sloth bear, spotted hyena, walrus, wolf.
Classification follows the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Other reference works arrange some groups differently. How classification works.
Is it in danger?
The jaguar is listed as Near Threatened. The species is not yet classed as threatened, but it is close and may become so soon.
This is the IUCN Red List category as recorded in Wikidata on 11 November 2026. The IUCN Red List itself is the authority and may carry a newer assessment. What the categories mean.