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Mountain Lion, Puma and Cougar
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Mountain Lion, Puma and Cougar Description |
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Also known
as the Panther, Cougar, or Mountain Lion, this species
is larger than some "big" cats ( it is about
the same size as the Leopard ), but is thought to be
closer to the " small " cats in classification.
The Puma has an elongated body, small head, short face,
and uniformly buff-colored fur. It has powerful and
muscular limbs, and its hindlegs are longer than its
forelegs.
Throughout its range, the Pumas most important food
is deer-especially Mule Deer and Elk. It stealthily
stalks its prey, leaping upon the victim's back or seizing
it after a rapid dash. It drags the carcass to a sheltered
spot and eats its fill, then covers the remains with
leaves and debris, for later consumption.
This agile cat can leap to a height of 18ft. from the
ground and is also a good swimmer, although it prefers
not to enter water.Usually solitary, individuals deliberately
avoid each other except for a brief period of courtship.
There is no fixed den, except when females are rearing
their young.
However, temporary shelter is taken in dense vegetation,
rocky crevices,and caves,
The Puma cannot roar like other big cats. Instead, it
communicates by growls, hisses, and birdlike calls,
and emits an eerily humanlike scream during courtship.
Puma kittens have spots on their body until they are
about 6 months old. They begin to feed on meat at six
weeks and, if born in spring,are able to go hunting
with the mother by fall, making their own kills by winter.
However, they remain with their mother for a several
more months.
Amazingly adaptable,the Puma has the greatest natural
distribution of any indigenous mammal in the Western
Hemisphere,with the exception of humans.
Extensively hunted since the arrival of the European
colonists, the Puma has also declined in numbers in
places where agricultural interests have led to the
destruction of forests. |
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