An iconic symbol of strength and agility in the American wilderness, it boasts a short, coarse coat that can vary in color from greyish to yellowish-brown, adapting seamlessly to its surroundings. The underbelly of these magnificent creatures displays a paler shade, contrasting the darker tones of their upper body. Additionally, their throat and chest are often highlighted with a whitish color, accentuating their majestic presence in the wild.
Unlike the powerful roars of lions, cougars communicate through an array of distinct vocalizations. They are capable of growling, snarling, and purring, and they can emit sounds startlingly similar to a human scream. These vocal cues play a crucial role in their interaction, mating calls, and territorial claims, adding to the mystique of these elusive predators.
Cougars are masters of ambush hunting, utilizing their environment to their advantage with remarkable patience and precision. They may lie in wait on a tree limb or conceal themselves behind rocks, silently observing their prey. With stealth and speed, they launch their attack, aiming for a lethal bite to the back of the neck, ensuring a swift kill. This method of hunting underscores their prowess and adaptability as apex predators within their domain.
When tackling larger prey, such as elk or moose, cougars demonstrate an understanding of resource management. If they cannot consume their kill in one sitting, they take measures to preserve it for later consumption. By covering the remains with leaves or concealing them behind bushes, they can protect them from scavengers, ensuring that no part of their hard-earned meal goes to waste.
The cougar’s habitat is remarkably diverse, spanning from the Canadian Yukon through the United States, Central America, and South America. This extensive range indicates their incredible adaptability, with cougars thriving in environments ranging from forests and mountains to deserts and wetlands.
Distribution
Argentina
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Canada
Official estimate
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Ecuador
El Salvador
French Guiana
Guatemala
Guyana
Honduras
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
United States
Uruguay
VenezuelaDid you know?
- There are about 40 English names for them, some of which include Puma, Mountain lion, and Red Tiger.
- Cougars are active and can jump up to 6 m (20 ft), which are the inspiration for the name of the well-known sneaker company, Puma. This brand encapsulated a feature of their product with the help of the ‘leaping puma’ logo.
- The Puma has the widest geographical range of any terrestrial mammal (except man!) in the Western Hemisphere, found in every major habitat type of the Americas.
- Mountain lions have traditionally been considered solitary creatures, but the enormous video archive of the Cougar Project is shaking up these presumptions. It is discovered that a species has some sort of social system and is interacting with a frequency that calls into question the notion that they are solitary creatures.
- Out of 16 states with cougar populations in the U.S., Texas is the only state where it is classified as a non-game species that can be hunted and trapped year-round with no limits or monitoring.
- Cougars are endangered due to habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching of their wild prey base, as well as roadkill, and restricted dispersal. They are hunted in retaliation or sometimes due to fear.
- Famous P-22, or the Hollywood cat, a Griffith Park mountain lion that survived for around ten years in Los Angeles, passed away on December 17, 2022, after being struck by a vehicle.
- Cougar P-81, who was four years old, passed away on January 22, 2023, after presumably being struck by a car. Researchers from the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area were researching his characteristics (physical abnormalities), which were early indicators of inbreeding within the cougar population.
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
