The representation of
jaguars in Mesoamerican cultures has a long history, with iconographic examples dating back to at least the mid-Formative period of
Mesoamerican chronology. The
jaguar (
Panthera onca) is an animal with a prominent association and appearance in the cultures and belief systems of
pre-Columbian Mesoamerican societies. Quick, agile, and powerful enough to take down the largest prey in the jungle, the jaguar is the largest of the
big cats in
the Americas, and one of the most efficient and aggressive predators. Endowed with a spotted coat and well adapted for the
jungle, hunting either in the trees or water, making it one of the few felines tolerant of water, the jaguar was, and remains, revered among the
indigenous Americans who live closely with the jaguar.