Cougar closeup. Philadelphia Zoo Photograph by Art G. Some rights reserved. |
The Cougar (also known as the Mountain Lion or Puma) is a large, slender cat. The fur is short and color varies from yellow brown to gray brown above, with pale underside. The chest and throat are white. The nose is pink with a black border. The long tail is tipped with black. The legs are relatively short and strong.
Other NamesPuma, Mountain Lion
SizeLength: males 1.0m-1.5m; females 0.85m-1.3m. Tail length 63cm - 93cm. Weight: average 62kg for males and 42kg for females.
Habitatconiferous forests, tropical forests, grassland, brush country, swamps. Found in areas with rock crevices or dense vegetation fro cover and shelter.
Foodlarge mammals such as moose, elk, deer. Also eats smaller mammals such as squirrels, muskrat, beaver, raccoon, birds. Sometimes preys on domestic animals such as poultry, sheep, goats.
BreedingA litter of 3 to 6 cubs is born after a gestation of 82 - 96 days. (Average litter size is 3 - 4 cubs). Cubs weigh 225g - 450g at birth. Cubs are fully weaned after about 40 days, but remain with their mother for around fifteen months.
RangeArgentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, USA, Uruguay, Venezuela.
Conservation StatusThe conservation status in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals is "near threatened".
Classification
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Relatives in same Genus Jaguarundi (P. yagouaroundi) |
Cougar Photograph by US Fish & Wildlife Service. License: Public Domain. |
Mountain Lion kittens Photograph by WL Miller. License: Public Domain. |
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