This is with a few exceptions, including the subspecies of Florida panthers and the now extinct eastern cougar. David Burnie, Dorling Kindersley (2011) Animal, The Definitive Visual Guide To The World's Wildlife, Tom Jackson, Lorenz Books (2007) The World Encyclopedia Of Animals, David Burnie, Kingfisher (2011) The Kingfisher Animal Encyclopedia, Richard Mackay, University of California Press (2009) The Atlas Of Endangered Species, David Burnie, Dorling Kindersley (2008) Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Animals, Dorling Kindersley (2006) Dorling Kindersley Encyclopedia Of Animals, David W. Macdonald, Oxford University Press (2010) The Encyclopedia Of Mammals. Exceptional individuals have exceeded 200 pounds, but this is rare. The mountain lion (Puma concolor) is sometimes called cougar, puma, catamount, and panther.Mountain lions once lived in much of the eastern United States. These predators look very much like over-sized short-hair house cats. These felines are quite large. By six months of age, the fur has changed to a tawny, unspotted coat like adults. This cat can be found throughout much of South and North America. Their bodies are long and sleek, with long necks and tails. Here are more interesting facts about the mountain lion. Though sizes vary greatly throughout the cat’s geographic range, a typical adult male will weigh 110 to 180 pounds and the female 80 to 130 pounds. Mountain lions are usually about six feet long including the tail, but are much smaller than most people think. Comment 380502 square kilometers based on Natural Heritage Program range maps A mountain lion is a wild cat ranging from two to three feet tall, with females weighing up to 120lbs and males up to 200lbs, making it the fourth largest cat in the world. Gestation, also called pregnancy, for a mountain lion is about 90 days. Keen eyesight helps them find their prey. They were almost exterminated from eastern US due to extensive hunting throughout the 19th and 20th centuries as they were considered a risk to livestock. Hunting is still legal in some form in many states, such as Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Washington and Oregon. They avoid humans whenever possible. Like every species on planet Earth, cougars also play an integral role in the ecosystems that they are part of. Score E - 2,500-10,000 individuals. So by the 1940s, many states paid bounties for killing of the lions. Adult females in the Recovery Program area average 40 kg. A cougar may attack if they feel cornered and usually bite the neck when attacking. The cats’ coat color varies from region to region. Otherwise, they remain solitary animals and avoid contact. These mammals have extremely strong legs that help them jump long distances. "Pennsylvania's last known wild eastern mountain lion was killed in Berks County in 1874. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. In contrast adult males in Canada and Chile weigh 65-85 kilograms (85 kilograms is 187 pounds). The historic range of this species included nearly the entire Americas but now they are confined to only 28 countries. Adult males will measure 6 to 8 feet from nose to tail tip and females 5 to 7 feet. Mountain lions are now fairly common in suburban areas of California and have recently been sighted as far east as urban Kansas City, Missouri, where several have been hit by cars. The average lifetime for these big cats in zoos is about 19 years, although some live beyond 20. Are mountain lions carnivores, herbivores, or omnivores? Mountain Lions belong to the Kingdom Animalia. They eat elk, moose, bighorn sheep, porcupine, rabbit, raccoon, coyote, rodents, reptiles and birds. Adults are large sleek cats with small heads. Mountain Lions live in forests and mountainous regions. This tells other lions to stay away. Congratulations! But these sightings occur with the same odds of a human being struck by lightning, so they are rare. The Kaaterskill Mountain Range is an ideal habitat for Mountain Lions. Mountain lions include six subspecies, of which cougar is one of those subspecies. The same logic applies to puppies. In Florida, only 160 panthers remain. Left to live a natural lifespan in the wild, most live about 13 years. But since many developments have encroached on the animal’s habitats, encounters are becoming all too common. Adult male mountain lions from Peru have been recorded as weighing 28-30 kilograms (30 kg is 66 pounds). Females with cubs move from one place on their territory to another every few weeks. They thrive in mountainous terrain and steep, rocky canyons. In popular usage, “cougar” and “mountain lion” are the most widespread alternate monikers for the cat, but many others exist. Standing up to 90 cm tall and having a length of around 8 ft. Females weigh around 110 pounds. In the United States, these cats live primarily in western states and Florida. This predator can swim, climb trees, and jump over long distances, making them an adept hunter. One of those was determined to be a hoax, in 1909. Mountain Lions belong to the class Mammalia. Humans rarely see mountain lions, as these animals prefer to remain hidden. But people sometimes cross their paths on hiking trails or out in the wilderness. The average mountain lion is an animal that ranges from about 3’3″ in length to about 5’5″. The mountain lion was tracked across the Indian Head Mountain Range, and across the Huckleberry Trail. Mountain lions are fast and powerful with distinctly muscular bodies, sharp eyesight, and keen hearing. They are known to leap from the ground to trees or jump from trees to pounce on prey on the ground.Â, Mountain lions are carnivores, which means that they feed on other animals to survive. Mountain lions avoid humans whenever possible. The eastern cougar was declared officially extinct in 2011 by the U.S. They mark their territory by urinating on piles of leaves, pine needles or grass and clawing trees. Throughout the Americas, their color ranges from a tawny color to a bluish gray. The Mountain Lion, also called the Cougar, Puma, or Panther, is a large, terrestrial animal, with most breeds being native to North America. A Mountain Lion can travel at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. They prefer white tail and mule deer meat over all other food, with deer making up about 80 to 90 percent of their diet. Click through all of our Mountain Lion images in the gallery. A number of years ago, the The Kingston Freeman ran an article of a Mountain Lion Found in Hartwick, New York. The Meagle has an incredible sense of smell. Mountain Lions have no real natural predators! In what type of habitat do Mountain Lions live? Though the government states the species is extinct, hundreds of sightings are still reported on a daily basis, particularly after the 2011 sighting of a mountain lion in Greenwich, Conn. The size. Females do not try to reproduce until they have established their own territory. Babies are cared for by their mother until one to two years of age, when the cubs must strike out on their own. But this happens only as frequently as a human is struck and killed by lightning. What is the main prey for Mountain Lions? Where hunted, such as in U.S. states that permit some hunting of mountain lions, the average lifespan for one of these cats is about five years. Its forequarters are muscular and forceful, with a strong jaw fully equipped to pin down and clutch prey larger than itself, such as antelope and deer. Fish & Wildlife Service. 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