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Habitat:
Mountain Lions are shy and elusive. They can be called cougar, puma, mountain lion, catamount, and even panther. The mountain lion is distributed widely
throughout the western United States of America, including all four deserts of the American Southwest. They live in Alberta’s alpine forests, Arizona’s
Sonoran Desert, or Mexico’s tropical jungles. They are found from sea level to 14,765 feet, in the dense forests of the Pacific Northwest, the desert
Southwest, and in Florida’s Everglades.
Movement:
The mountain lion runs on four legs and when it jumps, it jumps on two legs.
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Protection:
The mountain lion protects itself with its sharp teeth, sharp claws and its strong muscles.
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Size/Life Span:
Its
body is approximately 1.20m(3-4ft) and its weight is approximately 100kg.
Covering/Coat:
It has a reddish-brown to tan coat and it is white on the stomach. It has a red-black nose,
white ears and a black spot above its eyes.
The most recognizable feature of the cougar is its long and heavy tail, which measures almost
two-thirds the length of the head and body. It has a small head and small, rounded, black-tipped ears. Its long tail is also black-tipped. |
Food:
The mountain lion eats deer, bighorn, sheep, elk, mice, squirrels, hares, raccoon, insects,
porcupine, rabbits, mule, wild hogs, jackrabbits, rodents and occasionally cattle.
Reproduction:
Every 1-2 years a mother mountain lion has 2-4 cubs but only 1 or 2 usually survive. The cubs follow her for 1-2 years (until she is pregnant again) and
then leave to find their own home range.
 Newborn
kittens measure about a 30cm in length and have dark spots on their coats. Within 8 to 12 months these spots will fade. The kittens are weaned at
2 months.
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Picture from Florida
Panthers |
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Here's some links to
other pages on mountain lions:
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