Cougar

Cougar

common names

Cougar, Mountain Lion, Florida Panther, Puma

scientific name

Puma concolor or Felis concolor

size

• Length: 3.5-6.5 feet (tail is one-third of the body length)
• Weight: 75-250 pounds
• Males are larger than females
• Cougars tend to be larger the further away they are from the equator
• Cougars are the largest of the small-cat subspecies

characteristics

• Color varies from plain gray-brown to black, depending on location; all have black-tipped tails; belly is paler and the throat and neck are almost white
• Claws are long and retractable; broad paws
• Limbs are short and muscular
• Fur is short and coarse
• Vocalizations include low-pitched hisses, growls, purrs, yowls and screams (they do not roar)
• Can jump up to 20 feet in one leap; agile climbers
• Strong jaws and long canine teeth for hunting
• Excellent eyesight; visual range of 287 degrees

behavior

Solitary, except for mating and moms with young. Feeding: silently stalks prey at close range and kills with one bite to the neck; has initial feeding, then covers carcass for later consumption. Usually hunts at night (primarily nocturnal), but will vary depending upon prey availability. Relies on sight and hearing more than smell. Males can have territories as large as 100 square miles; females have smaller ranges within the male's territories; mark territory with urine or scat near trees they have marked with scrapes.

reproduction/life span

Reproductive season is all year; sexual maturity at 2 years; gestation 90-96 days. Cubs are born spotted; litter size ranges from 1-6 cubs (usually 2-4). Cubs remain with mother for 1 year (rarely 2). Lifespan is 15-20 years in the wild, longer in captivity.

diet

In the wild: deer, elk, sheep, birds and small mammals; may include beaver, porcupine, hare, raccoon, mice, birds, & grasshoppers. In zoo: carnivore diet and enrichment/training treats such as rodents.

habitat/range

Cougars have a very broad latitudinal range encompassing a diverse array of habitats from arid desert to tropical rainforest to cold coniferous forest to swamps, from sea level up to 16,000 feet. They prefer dense vegetation. Caves and rocky crevices provide shelter. They are found in the western United States, Florida, western Canada, Central America and South America.

Females may share overlapping ranges. Male ranges overlap several female ranges. Usually little overlap exists between resident males.

status

Endangered in Florida and parts of North America; most populations east of the Mississippi River were exterminated. CITES Appendix II; eastern and Central American subspecies (F.c.coryi, costaricensis and cougar) Appendix I.

other

Cougars have often been blamed for killing domestic animals, yet several studies have found no sign of cougar presence.