jaguar

Everyday

1. A jaguar is a big, powerful wild cat of Central and South America, with golden fur covered in rosettes that have spots inside them. tree →
2. Jaguars are strong swimmers and hunt in rainforests and swamps, catching capybaras, fish, turtles and even caimans. tree →
3. Jaguar (with a capital J) is a British make of expensive car. tree →

In the lessons

In science and geography lessons jaguars come up in Amazon rainforest food chains (top predator) and in comparing big cats: the jaguar is the largest cat in the Americas and has the strongest bite for its size. In history lessons, the Maya and Aztecs honoured the jaguar as a symbol of power. Pupils learn to tell jaguars from leopards: jaguars are stockier and their rosettes have dots in the middle.

Examples

• The jaguar crept silently through the rainforest. tree →
• Jaguars are the biggest cats in South America. tree →
• Unlike most cats, jaguars love water. tree →
• A jaguar's rosettes have little spots inside them. tree →
• The jaguar pounced on a caiman by the river. tree →
• The ancient Maya carved jaguars on their temples. tree →
• My uncle's new car is a Jaguar. tree →
• This is almost identical with a story quoted by Mr. Smith, where the jaguar is about to marry the deer's daughter. tree →

Note

Plural «jaguars». Said «JAG-yoo-ar» (UK) or «JAG-wahr» (US). Jaguars live only in the Americas; leopards live in Africa and Asia — if you see a spotted big cat in Africa, it is not a jaguar.