Panthera onca
Rare in the U.S. Confirmed animals have been males in southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. A spotted cat track farther north is not a jaguar. Very large round cat track, often 3.5 to 5 inches, no claw marks.
What does a jaguar look like?
Heavy spotted cat. Rosettes have smaller spots inside, unlike a leopard.
What do jaguar tracks look like?
Bigger and rounder than a cougar print, still clawless. Only worth considering in the border mountains of Arizona and New Mexico.
- Very large round cat track, often 3.5 to 5 inches, no claw marks
- Toes more rounded and the pad broader than a cougar
- Rosettes with spots inside them if the animal is seen
- Heavy head and a relatively short tail
- Do not label a print a jaguar without the size and the border range
What does jaguar poop look like?
Segmented, often left on a trail, larger than bobcat. Do not handle droppings. Several species carry parasites that stay in the soil around a latrine.
Where you find it
Rare in the U.S. Confirmed animals have been males in southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. A spotted cat track farther north is not a jaguar. Typical places: desert, woods. Year-round where the species lives. Tracks show best in mud, sand, and snow.
What to do next
- Watch from a distance
- Do not handle droppings
- If the animal is injured or inside a building, call a local wildlife officer
This page is a field guide, not a permit to approach wildlife. If an animal is injured, aggressive, or inside a house, call a local wildlife officer.
Animals it is confused with
- Cougar identification
- Bobcat identification
- All animal identification pages
- Identify an animal from a photo, track, or description
Are there jaguars in the United States?
A few males have been documented in southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. They are rare. A track in Colorado or Texas hill country is not a jaguar.
How to tell a jaguar from similar animals
Use the track, the dropping, and the place together. One print is not enough.
- Cougar. A big round cat print. Large plain tan cat, long tail, rounded ears.
- Bobcat. Round, clawless, slightly wider than long. Tawny spotted cat, short bobbed tail with black bars, ear tufts small.
Jaguar field marks
- Very large round cat track, often 3.5 to 5 inches, no claw marks
- Toes more rounded and the pad broader than a cougar
- Rosettes with spots inside them if the animal is seen
- Heavy head and a relatively short tail
Where the sign shows up
Rare in the U.S. Confirmed animals have been males in southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. A spotted cat track farther north is not a jaguar. Typical places: desert, woods. Year-round where the species lives. Tracks show best in mud, sand, and snow.
Bigger and rounder than a cougar print, still clawless. Only worth considering in the border mountains of Arizona and New Mexico. Segmented, often left on a trail, larger than bobcat.
Common questions
Are there jaguars in the United States?
A few males have been documented in southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. They are rare. A track in Colorado or Texas hill country is not a jaguar.