The Jaguar: An endangered species in Arizona
Jaguar (Panthera onca)
The jaguar is a large cat with a yellow to light brown coat, spotted with black rosettes or rings along the back and sides of its body. Most of the rings have an inner tan color, with 1 or 2 black spots. A jaguar’s legs, head, and tail have smaller, solid black spots, with black bands towards the end of its tail.
Map of the jaguar’s critical habitat in southern Arizona. (ECOS, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)
Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Jaguar has been on the List of Endangered Foreign Fish and Wildlife since 1972. The species historical range included Arizona, California, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas. Now, they are only found in southern Arizona and the border between Arizona and New Mexico.