The Cougar(Puma concolor), also known as Puma, Mountain Lion, or Panther is a big cat that is found in the Americas. The Cougar is classified in the order Carnivora, and the family Felidae.
Physical Characteristics
A Cougar’s head, ears, and muzzle are rounded. The tip of its tail, the backs of its ears, and the sides of the muzzle are black. The color of the body is mainly buffy gray to tan or cinnamon. A Cougar’s underside is pale buff or nearly white.
| Length | 1-2.8 m(3’3.4”-9’2.2”) |
| Shoulder Height | 60-90 cm(1’11.6”-2’11.4”) |
| Tail Length | 50-95 cm(1’7.7”-3’1.4”) |
| Weight | 9-120 kg(63.9-264.6 lbs.) |
Range
The Cougar can be seen in North America, and Latin America.
| Canada | U.S.A. | Latin America |
| Alberta | Arizona | Argentina |
| British Columbia | California | Belize |
| New Brunswick | Colorado | P.S.B,. |
| Quebec | Florida | Brazil |
| Saskatchewan | Idaho | Chile |
| Southern Ontario | Montana | Colombia |
| Yukon | Nebraska | Costa Rica |
| New Mexico | Ecuador | |
| Nevada | El Salvador | |
| North Dakota | French Guiana | |
| Oregon | Guatemala | |
| South Dakota, | Guyana | |
| Texas | Honduras | |
| Utah | Mexico | |
| Washington | Nicaragua | |
| Wyoming | Panama | |
| Paraguay | ||
| Peru | ||
| Suriname | ||
| B.R.V. |
Habitat
The Cougar inhabits deserts, forests, mountains, and swamps. The Cougar uses a cave or a rock crevice as as a den. Sometimes a Cougar may use the roots of a downed tree, or a tree hollow as a den.
Breeding
After a pair breeds; the mother Cougar gives birth to 1 to 6 cubs after a gestation period of approximately 3 months. The black-spotted cubs are born blind and helpless. The cubs eyes open at two weeks old. The cubs eyes are blue when they open for the first time, but as the cubs mature they lose their spots and their eyes turn to brown or hazel. Cougar cubs may stay with their mothers for up to 2 years old. Cougars reach sexual maturity at 3 years old.
Diet
Cougars eat hoofed mammals, rodents, lagomorphs, smaller carnivores, and birds.
Predators
Cougars have no natural predators, but have to compete with other large carnivores for resources.
Conservation Status
The Cougar is listed as least concern.
Definitions
Den. A den is a natural enclosure that a wild animal is using as an apartment.
Fun Facts
- The Cougar has the greatest natural distribution of any mammal in the Western Hemisphere except for man.
- A Cougar can live for up to 20 years.
- Cougars are solitary cats and will avoid other individuals except for during mating.
