Cougar, Puma, Mountain Lion Pictures, Information and Facts
See also Panther
In North America these beautiful big cats are known as Cougars or Mountain Lions.
In South America they are called Pumas. Cougars are strong, lean and nimble cats. They are very adaptable. They are found both in cold mountains and hot desserts.
Cougars prefer an environment with dense underbrush for hiding and rocky areas for
stalking, but they will also live in open areas.
The ears of a cougar are rounded and point upward. There are variations in the fur
of cougars. They can have tan coats, red coats, or yellow-gray coats. Fully grown male Cougars can reach 2.4 meters (8 ft) long nose to tail, and may weigh anywhere from 53-90kgs (75 to 240 pounds).
Cougars are strong hunters. Their powerful chest, neck, and jaw work together allowing
the cougar to catch and hold its prey securely. There are 5 claws on its front paws that are retractable. Their front feet are large to give them a firmer grip on their prey. Their build gives them the ability to leap long distances and sprint short distances.
Cougars are territorial animals. A Cougar’s territory can stretch up to 100 miles.
Generally a Cougar will go in search of prey at dawn & dusk. Even their diet is
adaptable. They will eat any animal they can capture. This could be anything from bugs, mice, porcupines, foxes or even Llama - which weigh over 500kgs. Unlike some
big cats Cougars hunt alone.
Interesting Cougar Facts:
- Cougars can live to 8-13 years in the wild, however they can live up to 20 years in captivity.
- A fully grown Cougar's tail is nearly 3ft long or approximately 1/3 of its total length.
- Cougars can leap twenty five feet!
- They will travel as far as twenty five miles in one night in search of food.
- Cougar cubs are born with spots to help them hide. They lose their spots after 10 months.
