Jaguars are opportunistic hunters. Over 85 species of prey (including wild and domestic animals) have been recorded in their distribution range, covering mammals, reptiles, birds and more.

They are usually solitary, resting in forests during the day and starting their hunting activities at dusk or night. Jaguars are highly territorial, and their territories may overlap with one another. A male jaguar's territory is typically twice the size of a female's and may overlap with the territories of multiple females.

The jaguar is the largest feline in the Western Hemisphere. Most big cats, including jaguars, cannot purr. Instead, they are famous for their iconic roar, which is produced by a hyoid bone in the throat attached to specialized stretchy ligaments. Their typical coat color ranges from orange to tan, covered with black spots arranged in rosettes with a black dot in the center. Jaguars resemble leopards of Africa and Asia, but leopards have no black central dot in their rosettes. A row of long black spots runs along the midline of a jaguar’s back, which may merge into a stripe. Their base coat color varies greatly from white to black. While brown and black jaguars appear solid-colored, their spots are always faintly visible. Jaguars are also larger and heavier than leopards. Unlike most felines, jaguars are adept swimmers and live near water, much like their distant relatives, tigers. These solitary hunters are experts at ambush predation, showing extreme alertness and flexibility in prey selection. As apex predators at the top of the food chain and keystone species in the ecosystem, jaguars play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance and controlling prey populations.