What is a jaguar's natural habitat?

Jaguars are most common in rainforests, deciduous forests, swamps and grasslands. Jaguars also count mountainous areas among their habitats. Jaguars live as far south as Patagonia in South America.

In the past jaguars roamed as far north as Arizona, but their populations have decreased, both in the United States and elsewhere, in recent years. There are no more than around 15,000 jaguars remaining in the wild. A group of 80 to 120 of the large cats lives in Sonora, Mexico, just south of the United States. Sonora is also home to two smaller groups of jaguars. Conservation efforts have focused on helping these groups grow their populations in order to rebuild the U.S. jaguar population.