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Post by Revenge on Apr 14, 2009 19:33:21 GMT -5
Cougars/Mountain Lions
A Big Small Cat: Weighing in between 150 and 230 pounds the cougar is larger than some "big cats," but is probably more closely related to smaller cats.
By Any Other Name: This buff-colored feline, also known as the puma, panther or mountain lion, is highly adaptable and at home in tropical rain forests, high mountains, conifer forests and deserts.
Diverse Diet: A variety of small mammals such as mice, rats and rabbits make up the cougar's menu, but sheep, moose and other livestock may also find themselves on the dinner table.
DID YOU KNOW?
It's a Bird, It's a Plane...: In proportion to its body size, the cougar has the largest hind legs in the cat family, allowing it to leap up to 18 feet vertically and 40 feet horizontally.
Cougar Leftovers: After gorging themselves on large prey, cougars bury the leftovers, returning later to finish them off.
Cougars and People: Cougars are very shy animals and tend to avoid people. However, sometimes one becomes curious and follows humans around to learn more. Very rarely do they attack; when they do, it's generally because they're hungry rather than defending territory. |
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Post by Revenge on Apr 14, 2009 19:37:01 GMT -5
The Cougar/Moutain Lion
Cougar/Mountain Lion Profile
This powerful predator roams the Americas, where it is also known as a puma, cougar, and catamount. This big cat of many names is also found in many habitats, from Florida swamps to Canadian forests.
Mountain lions like to prey on deer, though they also eat smaller animals such as coyotes, porcupines, and raccoons. They usually hunt at night or during the gloaming hours of dawn and dusk. These cats employ a blend of stealth and power, stalking their prey until an opportunity arrives to pounce, then going for the back of the neck with a fatal bite. They will hide large carcasses and feed on them for several days.
Mountain lions once roamed nearly all of the United States. They were prized by hunters and despised by farmers and ranchers who suffered livestock losses at their hands. Subsequently, by the dawn of the 20th century, mountain lions were eliminated from nearly all of their range in the Midwest and Eastern U.S.—though the endangered Florida panther survives.
Today, whitetail deer populations have rebounded over much of the mountain lion's former range and a few animals have appeared in more eastern states such as Missouri and Arkansas. Some biologists believe that these big cats could eventually recolonize much of their Midwest and Eastern range—if humans allow them to do so. In most western U.S. states and Canadian provinces, populations are considered sustainable enough to allow managed sport hunting.
Mountain lions require a lot of room—only a few cats can survive in a 30-square-mile (78-square-kilometer) range. They are solitary and shy animals, seldom seen by humans. While they do occasionally attack people—usually children or solitary adults—statistics show that, on average, there are only four attacks and one human fatality each year in all of the U.S. and Canada.
Cougar/Mountain Lion Range (In the yellow)
Fast Facts
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Size: Head and body, 3.25 to 5.25 ft (1 to 1.6 m); Tail, 23.5 to 33.5 in (60 to 85 cm)
Weight: 136 lbs (62 kg)
Protection status: Endangered
Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man
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Post by Revenge on Apr 14, 2009 19:37:39 GMT -5
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