Of the Family Panthera onca and a relative to tigers, lions, and panthers, the Jaguar is 6 to 7 feet long (though the Jaguars from the Amazon region can be up 9 ft long and can weigh up to 300 lb.s), 18-30 inches of which are tail length. The male Jaguars can stand up to 30 in. tall at the shoulder and weigh from 120 to 250 lb.s., while the female is shorter, weighing from 80 to 200 lb.s., both living up to 22 years.

Upon first glance, a person could mistake a Jaguar for its Asian cousin the Leopard, because both cats have a sub-species with a similar brownish-yellow fur color that is marked with dark paw-like markings. But, the jaguar has smaller dots within the larger paw-like markings. They also have a more husky, or muscular, body and a shorter tail. However, the melanistic (melanism is a condition that makes the coat appear black) form of the cats are more difficult to separate. But, in the right light, the markings can sometimes be seen. Another visual difference is the jaguar's larger head, with a larger looking jaw and an overall more square

Large or small, the jaguar gives the impression of unassailable power and many legends have revolved around these great creatures.

Jaguars usually hunt by walking along a well used trail or beside a stream crossing until they encounter their prey. While on the trail it utters a low and guttural grunt and will not become aggressive unless it is provoked or stalking prey. But, occasionally a Jaguar does attack a man but, unlike leopards, have not developed man eating tendencies. But some believe that they follow men throughout the forest only to escort them. Some Indians have even told stories of jaguars emerging from the forest to play with village children.

If the Jaguar finds an area where there's plenty of prey, it might live in a circular area (with a diameter of about 3 miles) for its entire life. Otherwise, the Jaguar might spend its life spanning over 200 square miles of land (The Jaguar can cover a lot of ground quickly, even though it gets tired easily).

Beginning in the early 1900's, large scale hunting and export of jaguar pelts greatly reduced the population. During the high point of the Jaguar's population decline in the 60's and 70's, about 18,000 jaguars were killed every year for their coat, which was mainly used for fur coats or jackets.

Jaguars prey on animals ranging from as large as domestic livestock to rodents, reptiles, monkeys and fish.

But, in the wild it isn't hard to tell the difference between the cats because they live on different continents. The Jaguar, commonly known as the "Spotted King Cat", is the biggest cat found in the Americas and the only member of the panthera family present within this area. The Jaguar's habitat once ranged from the southern part of the United States to the tip of South America, but now focuses on the north and central parts of South America.

Little is known about the family life of the Jaguar, but scientists do know that they have almost been hunted to extinction. Because of their rarity, scientists find it very difficult to study them-most of the information about Jaguars come from

Some common words found in the essay are:
Otherwise Jaguar, America Little, California Arizona, South America, Jaguar Asian, Jaguars Amazon, King Cat, , Family Panthera, south america, civilization jaguar, jaguar's habitat, kills prey, paw-like markings, lions panthers, square miles, rain forests, cats jaguar,
Approximate Word count = 1402
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)