Jaguar Facts

The jaguar is the third largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar is an exceptionally powerful bite, even relative to other big cats. This allows you to pierce the shells of armored reptiles and to employ an unusual killing method: bites directly through the skull of the victim between the ears to deliver a fatal bite in the brain. A short and stocky limb structure makes the jaguar adept at climbing, crawling and swimming.In some traditions the Jaguar God of the night was the formidable lord of the underworld. The name jaguar is derived from the Native American word jaguar, which means "he who kills with one leap"

The jaguar and its name is widely used as a symbol in contemporary culture. It is the national animal of Guyana, and is featured in its coat of arms.The flag of the Department of Amazonas, a Colombian department, features a black jaguar silhouette pouncing towards a hunter.The jaguar also appears in banknotes of Brazilian Real. These beautiful and powerful beasts were prominent in ancient Native American cultures.

The jaguar is a near threatened species and their numbers are decreasing.