They are found from southern Canada to the southern tip of South America.
They can live in many habitats from desert scrublands to mountain forests.
They can reach up to 8 feet long and 220 lbs. Females are smaller. They are a tawny yellow to gray color. Their head is marked with black on the sides of the muzzle and on the backs of the ears. They have a long tail that helps counter balance their weight when they climb and leap.
They live alone except to mate and have a territory that can be as big as 100 square miles. Like house cats, they stalk their prey and leap on them. They drag their prey to a safe place before eating them and will bury them to feed later. Though rare, they do sometimes attack humans.
They eat white-tailed deer, mule deer, bighorn sheep and pronghorn antelope, hares, and even rodents.
Man is their only real threat.
Females are pregnant for about 3.5 months (gestation) and have 1-3 cubs.
They can live 12-15 years in the wild. They are listed as near threatened on the CITES List (International List) and endangered on the U.S. Federal Endangered Species List.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Felidae
Subfamily: Felinae
Genus: Puma
Species: Puma concolor
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Amsel, Sheri. "Mountain Lion (Panther, Puma, Cougar, Catamount)" Exploring Nature Educational Resource ©2005-2024. November 25, 2024
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