Jaguars are endangered because of habitat destruction, hunting and persecution by cattle ranchers. They are only endangered in certain parts of their range, such as the United States, Mexico and El Salvador. They do have some stable populations, but human development threatens them everywhere.

As the largest cat in Mexico, the endangered jaguar weighs from 200 to 250 pounds. Jaguars may reach up to 3 feet in height with a 3-foot body length. Their tail alone grows up to 30 inches in length.

Most jaguars sport tan fur with black rings and spots, but a few of the cats appear totally black. Lowland rain forest remains the primary habitat for the jaguar, where it hunts deer and other small mammals.

The jaguar is an important symbol in local Mexican culture. The Mayans believed it was a messenger between the living and the dead and Mayan kings often incorporated the jaguar into their name, while an elite group of Aztec warriors were known as "Jaguar Knights'.