Jaguar  (Panthera onca)

Range

Jaguars were once found across the Americas as far north as California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas in the United States (7). In recent years they have been seen and photographed in southern Arizona (6) but otherwise survive only in Central and South America, ranging from Mexico to north Argentina (2). Their population is small and highly fragmented in Mexico. The highest population densities of up to one per 15 square kilometres are found in the lowland rainforests of the Amazon Basin. Although this refuge is of sufficient size to conserve the species for the foreseeable future, jaguar populations are considered to be declining in most other habitats (4).

View a distribution map for this species at UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Habitat

The jaguar is found in a variety of habitats across its range, from dense rainforest to seasonally flooded swamp areas, scrubland and savannas, but always near water (2). Primarily occupying lowlands of below 1,000 metres, sightings of jaguars have been reported as high as 3,800 metres (1) (2).

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