Cougar - felis concolor - aka Pumas, Catamounts, Panthers, Mountain Lions

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North American Cougar - felis concolor - aka Pumas, Catamounts, Panthers, Mountain Lions

Cougar
Cougar

Tigerhomes.org's Nevada

The Cougar (felis concolor) has one of the largest habitats of any feline species, thus their many names. Although, depending on were you live, you may be more accustomed to calling them Panthers, Mountain Lions, Pumas, or even Catamounts. At one time they were found from the tip of Florida where the are so named the “Florida Panther”, to California where they are known as the “Mountain Lion”, and from the bottom of South America were they are called the "Puma", and they range all the way up into Canada. Depending on the range they inhabit, the Cougar may be called by many names.

Mountain lions are one of the most broadly distributed large mammals in North America. Mostly solitary, adults come together only in the breeding season; for the rest of the year they are extremely territorial. The cats are careful never to have a population density that will in and of itself deplete the food supply. They are primarily nocturnal and crepuscular, but on rare occasions can be observed during the day. These animals have extremely good night vision (see the Nocturnal Eye).

TigerHomes has two resident North American cougars, Nevada and Rebate which like most Cougars are full of never ending energy. Cougars are known as the largest of all the “Small Cats”. Their claim to fame is that they also hold the vertical and horizontal jumping record! Cougars have been known to jump 25 feet across a stream and 18 feet straight up into a tree. They are nature's true athletes. Another little known fact is the fact that Cougars have the best breath of any cat!

As mentioned above, Cougars are classified as a “Small Cat” (Felis). Unlike a White Tiger, which is classified as a “Big Cat” (Felidae). The major difference separating the two classifications is the ability to roar vs. the ability to purr. All of the “Small Cats” can purr, while all of the “Large Cats” have the ability to roar. Cougars do actually have a very unusual beautiful vocalization as well as the loudest recorded purring ever documented.

Scientific Name: felis concolor
Range: North America through South American from the Canadian Yukon to the tip of South America. Including Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Average Weight:
  Female: 29.5 - 45.5 kg ( 65 -100 lbs)
  Male: 45.5 - 68.2 kg (100 -150 lbs)
Size (Length):
  Female: 1.82-1.97m ( 6'-0" - 6'-6") with tail approximately 1/3 of body length
  Male: 1.97-2.2 m ( 6'-6" - 7'-3") " " " " " "
Diet: Mammals of any size, ground dwelling birds, occasionally reptiles.
Gestation Period: 92-96 Days
Sexual Maturity: 1 1/2 years - 3 years.
Birth Season: March-April
Cubs Per Litter: (Usually 2-4 cubs) Cubs are born blind and weigh .54kg - .90kg (1.2 - 2 lbs)
Weaning: 6 Months
Cub Maturity: 18 Months - 2 Years
Lifespan: 15-18 Years
Predators: None except Man. In some areas, wolves have been observed preying on cougar cubs.
Social Structure: Solitary, except during mating season.
Territory Size: Approx. 18 square miles but depends on prey density
Population: Globally less than 50,000
Conservation Status: CITES Appendix I - Eastern and Central American subspecies (Felis concolor coryi, costaricensis and cougar ) All other subspecies CITES Appendix II. (All wildcats are listed on CITES Appendix I or II).

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