Melissa Allen, age 10, of Nampa, Idaho, for her question:

WHERE IS THE WILD JAGUAR FOUND?

Largest and most powerful member of the American cat family is the jaguar. In the wilds you'll find the jaguar living as far north as Mexico and throughout South America, but it is especially abundant in the dense forests of Central America and Brazil.

An adult jaguar is more than seven feet long and it stands two feet high at the shoulder. It has a coat of rich yellow, spotted with large black rosettes, each consisting of a circle of spots surrounding a central spot.

The head and body of the jaguar are massive and the legs are relatively short and thick. An adept climber and an excellent swimmer, the animal feeds on a wide variety of arboreal, terrestrial and aquatic animals.

Although greatly feared, the jaguar rarely attacks humans. In the pre Columbian civilization of Peru and Central America it was worshipped as a god.

A female jaguar will give birth to two, three or four cubs, which reach maturity at about the age of two. The animal has a life span of about 20 years.