How do we distinguish one jaguar from another? One way is by examining the jaguar's rosettes -- the dotted spots on their bodies -- which are uniquely patterned, like human fingerprints. To help with identification, biologists often pinpoint a rosette that looks like something memorable. The graphics below show the left side-body of Arizona's two most recent known jaguar residents, along with some identifying rosettes -- enlarged and creatively interpreted -- to tell them apart.


Photo   Jonathan Truong