Cougars
BEHAVIOR
Cougars (scientific name: Puma concolor) are solitary animals, living most of their lives alone. Cougars prefer to sit and wait for their prey to wander by, this is called an ambush predator. Cougars are crepuscular predators, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk; this is when their prey is most active as well.
COLOR PATTERN
- Coats come in a variety of colors – brown, grey, and buff (pale orange-brown)
- White bellies
- Tip of the tail is typically darker than the rest of the body
WHERE WE LIVE
Cougars are extremely adaptable and have the widest habitat range of all the small cats. They can live in many different areas such as tropical rainforests, high mountains, conifer forests, and even the desert. Cougars used to live in the eastern United States but hunting and urbanization drove them out except for a small pocket left in Florida.
WEIGHT
Cougar
90-180 pounds
90-180 pounds
Great Dane
130 pounds
130 pounds
LENGTH
Cougar
3.5 – 6.5 feet long
3.5 – 6.5 feet long
Bicycle
6 feet long
6 feet long
Bonus
Cougar
A cougar can leap 40 feet horizontally
A cougar can leap 40 feet horizontally
School Bus
40 feet long
40 feet long
WHAT WE EAT
OBLIGATE CARNIVORE
- Deer
- Rabbits
- Big Horn Sheep
- Rodents
- Coyotes
- Moose
THREATS
- Habitat Loss
Cougars are losing a lot of their habitat to farming and urbanization. - Hunting
Cougars were once hunted and considered vermin (pests); they no longer live east of the Mississippi River. - Considered: Least Concern
Did you know…
Cougars have
over
over
70
Different names!
Did you know…
Cougars can
run up to
run up to
40
miles per hour!
Did you know…
Cougars eat over
80
Different Species of Prey!
