Cougar

common names

Cougar, Mountain Lion, Florida Panther, puma, catamount and screamer

scientific name

Puma concolor

size

Cougars weigh 75 to 250 pounds and are 3.5 to 6.5 feet long, with a tail that is one third of their total body length. Males are usually larger than the females. Cougars tend to be larger in size as they get further from the equator.

characteristics

Cougars have short, coarse fur that varies depending on their location, from plain gray-brown to red. Their long tail is tipped black. The belly is pale in color and the throat and neck are almost white. Cougars have limbs that make them agile climbers. They have the ability to jump up to 20 feet in one leap using their tail as a rudder, which steers them while jumping. Their broad paws have long, retractable claws and their strong jaws have long canine teeth suited for holding their prey. Even though cougars are sometimes called mountain lions, they do not roar. Instead, their vocalizations include low-pitched hisses, growls, purrs, yowls and screams.

behavior

Cougars are solitary animals in the wild. Primarily nocturnal hunters, they silently stalk their prey at close range and kill with one bite to the neck. They rely on sight and hearing more than their sense of smell. After feeding, they may cover the carcass to eat later. Usually nocturnal, this may change depending upon availability of prey.

Males can have territories as large as 100 sq. miles. Females have smaller ranges within the males' territories. Cougars mark territory when they scratch or rub up against trees using scent glands on their paws and face. Scat and urine are also used to mark territories.

reproduction/life span

Cougars reach sexual maturity at 2 years. They may breed year-round, with a gestation of 90 to 96 days. Cougar cubs are born with spots and in litters from 1 to 6 cubs (usually 2 to 4). Cubs remain with their mother for a year or longer before becoming independent. A cougar's lifespan is typically 10 years in the wild, but they have been known to live up to 20 years in captivity.

diet

In the wild cougars eat deer, elk, birds and small mammals such as hares, and mice. In the zoo they eat a carnivorous diet and enjoy enrichment and training treats such as fish, mice, bones, hides and even whole carcasses on occasion.

habitat/range

Cougars have a very broad range and can exist in a wide variety of habitats from arid desert, tropical rainforests, cold coniferous forest or swamps. However, they prefer habitat with dense vegetation. Caves and rocky crevices provide cougars shelter. Cougars are the widest ranging cat in the Western hemisphere, found in the western United States, Florida, western Canada, Central America and South America.

status

Depending upon the state, the cougar's status ranges anywhere from endangered, protected, game animals or non-protected.

other

As populations expand, more people begin to live, work and play in areas inhabited by cougars. With that in mind, the territory of an average male cougar can range up to 100 miles. Cougars could easily be isolated from a highly populated area and roam into one as part of its territory. As a result of both human encroachment and the size of the average cougar territory, there have been a greater number of reported cougar sightings.

oregon zoo exhibit

Cougar Crossing

For more information, please visit The Cougar Network