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Jaguar

Panthera onca

Mammal · family Felidae · order Carnivora

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G4: apparently secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Jaguar
Photo: Thiagomarcelcampi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Endangered[1]
NatureServe global rank
G4 Apparently Secure[2]
Native in
3 states[3]
Longest recorded life
28 years[4]

The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a big cat, a mammal in the cat family Felidae[5]. In the US it is listed as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act, and NatureServe lists it as native in Arizona, California and New Mexico[1][3].

Conservation status

The jaguar has been listed as Endangered under the US Endangered Species Act since March 28, 1972, with Arizona and New Mexico in the listed range[1]. Worldwide, NatureServe ranks it G4 (Apparently Secure)[2]. Inside the United States its rank is N1 (Critically Imperiled), meaning it is very rare here[6]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Near threatened[7]. It is also on CITES Appendix I, which puts controls on trade between countries[8].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Endangered, listed March 28, 1972
NatureServe global rank[2] G4 (Apparently Secure)
NatureServe US rank[6] N1 (Critically Imperiled)
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[7] Near threatened
CITES (international trade)[8] Appendix I
Total population (NatureServe estimate)[9] 10,000 to 1,000,000 individuals

Where Jaguar lives

NatureServe lists the jaguar as native in Arizona, California and New Mexico[3]. It is ranked as gone, or possibly gone, from Louisiana and Texas[10]. The Endangered listing covers Arizona and New Mexico[1].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: not recordedMEWisconsin: not recordedWIVermont: not recordedVTNew Hampshire: not recordedNHWashington: not recordedWAIdaho: not recordedIDMontana: not recordedMTNorth Dakota: not recordedNDMinnesota: not recordedMNIllinois: not recordedILMichigan: not recordedMINew York: not recordedNYMassachusetts: not recordedMAOregon: not recordedORNevada: not recordedNVWyoming: not recordedWYSouth Dakota: not recordedSDIowa: not recordedIAIndiana: not recordedINOhio: not recordedOHPennsylvania: not recordedPANew Jersey: not recordedNJConnecticut: not recordedCTRhode Island: not recordedRICalifornia: native, state rank SNRCAUtah: not recordedUTColorado: not recordedCONebraska: not recordedNEMissouri: not recordedMOKentucky: not recordedKYWest Virginia: not recordedWVVirginia: not recordedVAMaryland: not recordedMDDelaware: not recordedDEArizona: native, state rank S1AZNew Mexico: native, state rank S1NMKansas: not recordedKSArkansas: not recordedARTennessee: not recordedTNNorth Carolina: not recordedNCSouth Carolina: not recordedSCDistrict of Columbia: not recordedDCOklahoma: not recordedOKLouisiana: extirpated or possibly extirpated, state rank SXLAMississippi: not recordedMSAlabama: not recordedALGeorgia: not recordedGAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: extirpated or possibly extirpated, state rank SXTXFlorida: not recordedFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[11].
Show state ranks (5 states)
StateRankMeaning
ArizonaS1Critically Imperiled
CaliforniaSNRNot Ranked
LouisianaSXPresumed Extirpated
New MexicoS1Critically Imperiled
TexasSXPresumed Extirpated

Habitat

NatureServe records the jaguar in many kinds of places, from wooded land and chaparral to savanna, grassland and desert[12]. It also uses wet places such as marshes, swamps, riverbanks, rivers, creeks and shallow water[12]. Across most of its range it relies a lot on water[13]. Mothers give birth in a hidden, sheltered spot such as a thicket or a gap among rocks[13].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[12]

Size, diet and lifespan

The jaguar is a meat eater, and its estimated diet is 80% warm-blooded animals, 10% reptiles and amphibians and 10% fish[14]. Prey includes mammals large and small, reptiles such as turtles and small crocodilians, and birds that nest on the ground, and it hunts mostly on the ground but can leap on prey from a tree or ledge[15]. A typical jaguar is about 242 cm (95 in) long[16] and weighs about 136 kg (300 lb)[17]. The longest recorded lifespan is 28 years in captivity[4]. A typical litter is 2 young[18], born after a pregnancy of 99 days[19], and females are mature at 730 days[20].

Trait Value
Typical length[16] 242 cm (95 in)
Typical adult weight[17] 136 kg (300 lb)
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[4] 28 years (captivity)
Litter or clutch size[18] 2
Gestation or incubation[19] 99 days
Female maturity[20] 730 days (about 2.0 years)
Food habits[21] Carnivore
Active[22] nocturnal, crepuscular, diurnal
Migration[23] non-migrant

Estimated diet composition (EltonTraits 1.0)[14]

  • 80% warm-blooded vertebrates
  • 10% reptiles and amphibians
  • 10% fish

When to look for it

NatureServe lists the jaguar as a non-migrant, so it does not make seasonal journeys, though populations can differ[23]. It can be active at night, during the day, and at dawn and dusk (called crepuscular)[22]. In the US, most GBIF observation records fall in January, August and September, which shows when people report jaguars, not how many there are[24].

January: 37 recordsJanFebruary: 18 recordsFebMarch: 30 recordsMarApril: 18 recordsAprMay: 24 recordsMayJune: 32 recordsJunJuly: 22 recordsJulAugust: 103 recordsAugSeptember: 35 recordsSepOctober: 14 recordsOctNovember: 11 recordsNovDecember: 15 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[24].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January37
February18
March30
April18
May24
June32
July22
August103
September35
October14
November11
December15

Where to see it

This species is protected or at risk, so we show its range only at the state level. We do not publish parks, nesting, spawning or wintering sites.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Florida, New Mexico, Arizona, Tennessee, Texas[25]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the jaguar endangered?
Yes. Under the US Endangered Species Act the jaguar is listed as Endangered, since March 28, 1972[1]. NatureServe ranks it N1 (Critically Imperiled) in the United States[6].
Where do jaguars live in the US?
NatureServe lists the jaguar as native in Arizona, California and New Mexico[3]. It is ranked as gone or possibly gone from Louisiana and Texas[10].
What do jaguars eat?
Jaguars eat meat[21]. Their estimated diet is 80% warm-blooded animals, 10% reptiles and amphibians and 10% fish[14].
How big is a jaguar?
A typical jaguar is about 242 cm (95 in) long[16] and weighs about 136 kg (300 lb)[17].
How long do jaguars live?
The longest recorded lifespan in AnAge is 28 years, for a jaguar in captivity[4]. This is a record, not a typical lifespan[4].

Facts and sources

  1. Under the US Endangered Species Act, Jaguar has the status Endangered, listed March 28, 1972 (USFWS ECOS). States in the listed range: Arizona, New Mexico. USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Jaguar: G4 (Apparently Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Jaguar as native in 3 US states and territories: Arizona, California, New Mexico. NatureServe Explorer
  4. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 28 years in captivity. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  5. Jaguar (Panthera onca) is a mammal in the family Felidae, order Carnivora. NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N1 (Critically Imperiled). NatureServe Explorer
  7. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Near threatened. NatureServe Explorer
  8. CITES listing recorded by NatureServe: Appendix I (controls on international trade). NatureServe Explorer
  9. NatureServe estimate of total adult population (global, as a range): 10,000 to 1,000,000 individuals. NatureServe Explorer
  10. NatureServe ranks Jaguar as extirpated or possibly extirpated (SX or SH) in: Louisiana, Texas. NatureServe Explorer
  11. NatureServe state ranks for Jaguar (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  12. Habitat types NatureServe records for Jaguar: Forest - hardwood, Forest - mixed, Woodland - hardwood, Woodland - mixed, Shrubland/chaparral, Savanna, Grassland/herbaceous, Desert, Herbaceous wetland, Scrub-shrub wetland, Forested wetland, Riparian, Big... NatureServe Explorer
  13. NatureServe notes on habitat for Jaguar. NatureServe Explorer
  14. Estimated diet composition in EltonTraits 1.0: 80% warm-blooded vertebrates, 10% reptiles and amphibians, 10% fish. EltonTraits 1.0
  15. NatureServe notes on food for Jaguar. NatureServe Explorer
  16. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 242 cm (95 in). NatureServe Explorer
  17. Typical adult weight recorded by NatureServe: 136 kg (300 lb). NatureServe Explorer
  18. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 2. AnAge
  19. Gestation or incubation period in AnAge: 99 days. AnAge
  20. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 730 days (about 2.0 years). AnAge
  21. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Carnivore. NatureServe Explorer
  22. Activity time in EltonTraits 1.0: nocturnal, crepuscular, diurnal. EltonTraits 1.0
  23. NatureServe migration category for Jaguar: non-migrant (populations can differ). NatureServe Explorer
  24. GBIF observation records of Jaguar in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  25. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Jaguar: Florida, New Mexico, Arizona, Tennessee, Texas. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: Thiagomarcelcampi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.