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The cougar, which will be commonly known as a puma, mountain lion, or panther, is the second largest cat in North America (with crucial being the jaguar).
Cougars measure about 1.5-2.4 m (5-8 ft.) prolonged. Whereas males can weigh as a lot as 68 kg (150 lb.), females weigh a lot much less, topping out at virtually 45 kg (100 lb.).
They’ve comparable physique kinds to take care of cats, solely on an even bigger scale. They’ve slender our our bodies and spherical heads with pointed ears.
The coat of the cougar is a grayish tan to reddish color with lighter parts on the underside. The tail has a black spot on the tip.
{Photograph} by moose henderson / iStock.com.
Inhabiting different ecosystems from mountains to deserts to sea-level, the cougar’s established range consists of western North America, a small space in Florida, and most of South America.
They make their dwelling anyplace that there is shelter and prey.
Can Cougars Roar?
In distinction to completely different big cats, cougars cannot roar. Nevertheless they will purr.
What Cougars Eat
Normally cougars prey on deer however as well as feed on smaller animals if wanted, along with house animals and livestock.
They’ve even been acknowledged to eat bugs.
How Cougars Hunt
Skilled and artful hunters, cougars preserve hidden from their prey until they will pounce with claws out-stretched. They’ll moreover climb with ease and leap over 6 m (20 ft.).
{Photograph} by seread / iStock.com.
After killing an enormous animal, a cougar hides the carcass and eats it throughout the coming days.
Cougar Duplicate
All through most of their lives, cougars are solitary creatures. They work collectively solely to mate, which could happen at any time of yr.
Females give begin to a litter of 2-3 infants, known as kittens or cubs. They enhance the youthful whereas the males return to their solitary existence.
Mountain lion cub. {Photograph} by gnagel / iStock.com.
At spherical two years earlier, cougar offspring will go away their mother to begin out their very personal life. Some journey far to find out their very personal territory as cougars need quite a few room to roam.
A healthful cougar throughout the wild can dwell to spherical 10 years of age. In captivity, cougars can dwell as long as 20 years.
For basically essentially the most half, the cougar has no pure enemies and sits atop the meals chain. Nonetheless, they usually compete with completely different predators similar to bears and wolves for meals.
Conservation Standing
Cougars are listed as a species of least concern by the IUCN Purple Guidelines.
Nevertheless they nonetheless face threats. Cougars have been prolonged been killed by every sport hunters and farmers defending their livestock.
Completely different threats to cougar populations embrace habitat loss and fragmentation, along with car accidents. Consequently, the cougar inhabitants has significantly decreased.
Although they as quickly as ranged broadly all by means of North and South America, cougars had been largely worn out from the jap portion of the USA and Canada by European settlers throughout the 1700s.
There is a small inhabitants in Florida, a subspecies usually often called the Florida panther. The Florida panther is taken under consideration to be critically endangered, and companies are working to maintain up the current inhabitants.
Furthermore, in current occasions, sightings of cougars throughout the northeast United States and jap Canada have been on the rise. Although many are the outcomes of former captive cougars who escaped or had been launched, there is a danger of recolonization of cougars throughout the east.
What You Can Do To Help
You’ll be able to too attraction to your congresspeople advocating the preservation of open land to have the ability to protect a livable habitat for cougars.
In addition to, you probably can donate on to the Mountain Lion Foundation.
Cougar Distribution
Inhabiting different ecosystems from mountains to deserts to sea-level, the cougar’s range consists of western North America, a small space in Florida, and most of South America.
Cougar Sources
Quick Reality Sheet
Widespread Determine(s): Cougar, Puma, Mountain Lion, Panther
Scientific Determine: Puma concolor
Animal Sort: mammal
Measurement: 1.5-2.4 m (5-8 ft.) prolonged; Tail: 53-76 cm (21-30 in.)
Weight: As a lot as 68 kg (150 lb.)
Lifespan: 10 years
Conservation Standing: Least Concern