Jaguar (Cat, Great)

The powerful felineâs muscles ripple beneath a golden coat covered in dark spots with a smaller markings within those spots.

Jaguar CR 3

XP 800
N Medium animal
Init +3; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +9

AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 26 (4d8+8)
Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +2

Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Melee 2 claw +7 (1d4+4), bite +8 (1d8+4 plus grab)
Special Attacks pounce, rake (2 claws +7, 1d4+4)

Str 18, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 6
Base Atk +3; CMB +7 (+11 grapple); CMD 20 (24 vs. trip)
Feats Improved Natural Attack (bite), Skill Focus (Perception) ^B, Weapon Focus (bite)
Skills Acrobatics +3 (+11 balancing), Climb +16, Perception +9, Stealth +11 (+15 in heavy undergrowth and tall grass), Swim +16; Racial Modifiers +8 Acrobatics when balancing, +4 Stealth (+8 in heavy undergrowth and tall grass), +4 Swim

Environment warm forests
Organization solitary
Treasure none

The jaguar is a highly aggressive and ferocious great cat that makes its home in dense forests or swampy areas near a source of fresh water. Of all the big cats, the jaguar is the most at home in the water. They are excellent swimmers and stalk their prey through deep water where other cats wonât go. They also excel at climbing and often spend time hunting tree-dwelling animals (such as monkeys). The jaguar is highly territorial with its personal hunting ground often covering an area of several square miles. The typical jaguar subsists on a diet of animals such as deer, tapir, elk, fish, armadillos, and other small animals. If hungry or its food supply is thin, jaguars have been known to attack prey much larger than itself. (Creatures as large as warhorses are known to have fallen victim to the powerful jaws of the jaguar.) The jaguar has no rival among the other big cats.

Jaguars are solitary creatures, but occasionally a lair is discovered that contains a female and 1d4 cubs. Cubs are often captured and sold on the market where they can be trained and raised. Jaguars are sometimes confused with leopards. Both cats have a brownish-yellow base fur with dark spots or markings. The jaguar can be distinguished by the smaller markings inside the spots. A jaguarâs forelimbs and head are slightly larger than the average leopard (another distinguishing characteristic). Black jaguars are often called black panthers (a misnomer applied to black leopards sometimes as well).