Facts about Cougar

Male ranges may include or overlap with those of females but, at least where studied, not with those of other males, which serves to reduce conflict between cougars.

Like domestic cats, cougars vocalize low-pitched hisses, growls, and purrs, as well as chirps and whistles.

California has actively sought to protect the cat and a similar number of cougars has been suggested, between 4,000 and 6,000 (CDFG 2007).

The cougar's total breeding population is estimated at less than 50,000 by the IUCN, with a declining trend (IUCN 2002).

The cougar is also protected across much of the rest of their range.

The Inca city of Cusco is reported to have been designed in the shape of a cougar, and the animal also gave their name to both Inca regions and people.

To the Apache and Walapai of Arizona, the wail of the cougar was harbinger of death (USDA 2007).

Cougar size is smallest close to the equator, and larger towards the poles (Iriarte et al.

Causes of death in the wild include disability and disease, competition with other cougars, starvation, accidents, and, where allowed, human hunting.

Predation by cougars has been linked to changes in the species mix of deer in a region.

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) currently lists the cougar as a "near threatened" species.

A capable stalk-and-ambush predator, the cougar pursues a wide variety of prey.

When the cougar does attack, they usually employs their characteristic neck bite, attempting to position their teeth between the vertebrae and into the spinal cord.

Currently, the cougar ranges across most western American states, the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, and the Canadian Yukon Territory.

Cougars are slender cats, with somewhat round heads and with erect ears.

Like all cats, the cougar is an obligate carnivore, requiring meat in its diet.

The grace and power of the cougar have been widely admired in the cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Americas.

East of the Mississippi, the only unequivocally known cougar population in the United States is the Florida panther.

Research has shown cougar abundances from 0.5 animals to as much as 7 (in one study in South America) per 100 kmІ (38 sq mi) (Nowell and Jackson 2006).

Aside from humans, no species preys upon mature cougars in the wild.

Learned, individual prey recognition was observed, as some cougars rarely killed bighorn sheep, while others relied heavily on the species (Ross et al.

Only the Florida panther (a subspecies of cougar) showed variation, often preferring feral hogs and armadillos (Iriarte et al.

One study found that brown or black bears visited 24 percent of cougar kills in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, usurping 10 percent of carcasses (COSEWIC 2002).

The cougar prefers habitats with dense underbrush and rocky areas for stalking, but it can live in open areas.

Other listed prey species of the cougar include mice, porcupine, and hares.

A successful generalist predator, the cougar will eat any animal it can catch, from insects to large ungulates.

Like almost all cats, the cougar is a solitary animal.

Despite anecdotes to the contrary, and even reference works citing that melanistic (black) forms of cougars are common (Grzimek et al.

Cougars have proportionally the largest hind legs in the cat family (Nowell and Jackson 2006), allowing great leaping and short-sprint ability.

An exceptional vertical leap of 5.4 meters (18 feet) is reported for the cougar (SDZ 2008).

One study has shown high morbidity among cougars that travel farthest from the maternal range, often due to conflicts with other cougars ("intraspecific" conflict) (UDWR 1999).

Attacks are most frequent during late spring and summer, when juvenile cougars leave their mothers and search for new territory (GovBC 1991).

Fish and Wildlife Service historically recognized both an Eastern cougar and the Florida panther, affording protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Habitat corridors and sufficient range areas are critical to the sustainability of cougar populations.

Cougars are generally hunted with packs of dogs, until the animal is "treed."

The cougar is adept at climbing, which allows it to evade canine competitors.

The cougar is territorial and persists at low population densities.

The cougar is on average heavier than the leopard, but smaller than the tiger or lion.

Studies have indicated that the cougar and jaguarundi are most closely related to the modern cheetah of Africa and western Asia (Johnson et al.

The jaguar tends to take larger prey and the cougar smaller where they overlap, reducing the cougar's size (Iriarte et al.

North America was then repopulated by a group of South American cougars (Culver et al.

Of the three large predators, the massive brown bear appears dominant, often, although not always, able to drive both the gray wolf pack and the cougar off their kills.

Due to the growth of urban areas, cougar ranges increasingly overlap with areas inhabited by humans.

Fighting back with sticks and rocks, or even bare hands, is often effective in spurring an attacking cougar to disengage (McKee 2003; GovBC 1991).

Another study on winter kills (November–April) in Alberta showed that ungulates accounted for greater than 99% of the cougar diet.

Adult cougars stand about 60 to 80 centimeters (2.0 to 2.7 feet) tall at the shoulders.

The Vancouver Island marmot, an endangered species endemic to one region of dense cougar population, has seen decreased numbers due to cougar and gray wolf predation (Bryant and Page 2005).

U.S. state-level statistics are often more optimistic, suggesting cougar populations have rebounded.

The gray wolf and the cougar compete more directly for prey, especially in winter.

Of the two felines, the cougar appears best able to exploit a broader prey niche and smaller prey (Nuanaez et al.

The cougar is capable of breaking the neck of some of its smaller prey with a strong bite and momentum bearing the animal to the ground (Wrightv and Amirault-Langlais.

The cougar is the largest of the "small cats."

Wolves more broadly affect cougar population dynamics and distribution by dominating territory and prey opportunities, and disrupting the feline's behavior.

An adaptable, generalist species, the cougar is found in every major New World habitat type.

Sightings of cougars in the eastern United States continue as cougars with offspring have been sighted in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Michigan.

The cougar cannot be legally killed in California except under very specific circumstances, such as when an individual is declared a public safety threat (CDFG 2007).

Cougars may live as long as 20 years in captivity.

The cougar was extirpated across much of its eastern North American range with the exception of Florida in the two centuries after European colonization and faced grave threats in the remainder.

Attacks on humans are rare, as cougar prey recognition is a learned behavior and they do not generally recognize humans as prey (McKee 2003).

The cougar can run as fast as 55 kilometers per hour (35 miles per hour)(CanGeo 2008), but is best adapted for short, powerful sprints rather than long chases.

The same study showed the highest proportion of attacks to have occurred in British Columbia, particularly on Vancouver Island where cougar populations are especially dense.

The cougar has the largest range of any wild land animal in the Americas.

The status of the Florida panther, here collapsed into the North American cougar, remains uncertain.

Hunting, fishing, and other sporting activities in nature promote the love of nature, and sportsmen often have a strong desire to preserve it unspoiled for subsequent generations.

Due to persecution following the European colonization of the Americas, and continuing human development of cougar habitat, populations have dropped in many parts of its historical range.

Feline immunodeficiency virus, an endemic AIDS-like disease in cats, is well-adapted to the cougar (Biek et al.

Home range sizes and overall cougar abundance depend on terrain, vegetation, and prey abundance (UDWR 1999).

Studies show that the cougar prefers regions with dense underbrush, but can live with little vegetation in open areas (IUCN 2002).

Certain taxonomic authorities have collapsed both designations into the North American cougar, with Eastern or Florida subspecies not recognized (Wozencraft 2005), while a subspecies designation remains recognized by some conservation scientists (Conroy et al.

Female cougars are fiercely protective of their kittens and have been seen to successfully fight off animals as large as grizzly bears in their defense.

The cougar is regulated under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES 2008) rendering illegal international trade in specimens or parts.

When the cougar does attack, they usually employs their characteristic neck bite, attempting to position their teeth between the vertebrae and into the spinal cord.

The cougar holds the world record for the animal with the highest number of names due to its wide distribution across North and South America.

Conversely, lone wolves are at a disadvantage, and have been reported killed by cougars.

Cougar coloring is plain (hence the Latin concolor) but can vary greatly between individuals and even between siblings.

Cougars can be as large as jaguars, but are less muscled and powerful; where their ranges overlap, the cougar tends to be smaller than average.

One report describes a large pack of 14 wolves killing a female cougar and her kittens.

Sightings of cougars in the eastern United States continue as cougars with offspring have been sighted in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Michigan.