An adult jaguar can weigh up to 100 kg - about the same as a really big dog. They are shorter than tigers and lions but more muscular. Their jaws are some of the strongest of any cat: a single bite can crack a turtle's shell or split a coconut. Most cats avoid water, but jaguars love it - they often swim across rivers and even hunt fish.
Jaguar spots are not just for decoration. They break up the cat's shape against the dappled light of the forest, so prey doesn't see it until it is too close. Every jaguar's pattern of spots is unique - a bit like a fingerprint. Scientists who study them can recognise individual jaguars from photographs.
Jaguars live mostly on their own. A single jaguar might roam an area of 50 to 150 square kilometres - bigger than many cities. They use scratches on trees and special scent marks to tell other jaguars 'this is my patch'.
Jaguars are an important part of stories and art from many of the people who have lived in the Americas for thousands of years - the Maya, the Aztec, the indigenous people of Venezuela. Children today learn about them in school, and a few national parks are set up just to give the jaguars a safe home.