Hobbies And Interests
Habitat
Cougars are comfortable in several habitats, including deserts, northern forests, swamps and rainforests. They are found throughout the Western hemisphere in South America, Central America, the western U.S., Florida and western Canada. Solitary animals, cougars live in home ranges that they mark with their scent. These territories can be large, ranging from 30 to 125 square miles. Depending on the ecosystem they inhabit, cougars will shelter from bad weather in caves, mountain crevices or thick vegetation.
Appearance
The cougar is the largest of the small wild cats. They can be up to 6 1/2 feet long and weigh up to 250 lbs. Smaller cougars live closer to the equator. Cougars have long tails that account for a third of their length. Only the jaguar is larger than the cougar among New World cats. The feline's coat can be several colors, usually depending on where it lives. Cougars can be gray-brown, tan and red. They have coarse, short fur. The animal is an excellent climber whose balance is aided by the long tail, and its long limbs allow it to leap up to 20 feet. They have retractable claws used for hunting prey.
Behavior
The cougar prefers the ambush method when hunting prey. Mainly carnivorous, cougars eat deer, pigs, raccoons, squirrels and any other warm-blooded creatures that share their habitat. They hunt at night and stalk their prey. Cougars are incapable of roaring but communicate with other cats by hissing, growling, screaming and purring. Cougars will breed all year, and the young are born with spots. A typical lifespan for a cougar is 10 years, although they have lived to 20 in zoos and protected sanctuaries.
Humans and Cougars
The cougar faces habitat loss as human populations continue to grow and move into their usual habitats. This has also caused an increasing number of human-cougar encounters. However, most are not fatal. From 1890 to 2008, 21 humans have been attacked and killed by mountain lions. Hunting, trapping and poisoning has depleted the cougar population in North America as the animal is often considered a pest at best and a physical threat at worst. One small cougar subspecies found only in Florida is severely endangered with only 50 cats remaining in the wild.