What Is a Cougar's Habitat Like?

Geography

• Cougars are found in the wild predominantly in North and South America. In North America, cougars are officially recognized as living in 15 different states as of 2011, while cougar sightings suggest there may be substantial populations in at least five more. Cougar populations are officially found in states such as Colorado, Idaho, Texas and Nevada, while cougars are termed an endangered species in Florida.

  Cougars live in Canada, too, in provinces such as New Brunswick and Quebec. Cougars can also be found in Central and South America, in countries such as Mexico and Argentina. Historically, cougars had a far greater presence in the United States, with a population in at least 48 states, but were hunted relentlessly by farmers who feared for their livestock. This significantly reduced the numbers of cougars in the wild.

Terrain

• Cougars thrive in a relatively large number of different terrains. These include the mountainous areas and foothills of Canada, the lowland swamps of Florida and the deserts and rainforests of Central and South America. The most important aspect of any terrain for a cougar is that its environment offers plenty of cover to hunt prey and avoid predators.

Range

• A single cougar hunts over a range of up to 350 square miles, in an area typically shaped like a circle or oval, according to the Total Wildlife Control. This makes the cougar's range relatively large. A male cougar's range is almost twice the size of a female's. Cougars move often within their ranges, and males may have two ranges that they alternate between. Typically, a male cougar will permit a number of females to share parts of its range, but a cougar rarely allows another male to do the same.

Behavior in Habitat

• Cougars tend to be solitary creatures, interacting little with other members of their species and even less with humans. They are elusive, and quickly cross between different areas of their range. Humans can detect where a cougar has recently been, often because of a depleted wildlife population. Cougars will eat livestock should the opportunity arise.