Puma is a predatory animal from the cat family. Skillful and dexterous hunter, one of the brightest and most graceful representatives of big cats. In this article, you can see the description and photo of the cougar, learn a lot of new and interesting things about the life of this beautiful wild cat.
What does a puma look like and what is it called?
The cougar looks like a strong cat, it has a very flexible body, with a long muscular tail. The paws are adapted for climbing trees. The cougar has a short and thick coat.
Adult cougars are predominantly reddish in color, the underside of the body is lighter than the top. The muzzle of a cat with black markings and dark ears.
The body length of the cougar is 100-180 cm, the tail length is 60-75 cm. The height at the withers is 60-90 cm, the weight of the cougar can reach 100 kg. It is noteworthy that males are much larger than females. Average weight female individuals range from 30-50 kg, and male - 60-80 kg.
This wild cat has other names. Puma is also called Mountain lion and cougar.
Puma is a foreign representative of big wild cats. The cougar lives in the North and South America, inhabits a fairly large area - from the Yukon (Canada) to Patagonia (South America).
The puma animal lives in mountainous areas and is not afraid of high altitudes. Also prefers living in coniferous and tropical forests, found in swamps and plains.
Cougars are almost universal, they easily move along mountain slopes and rocks, climb trees well and can swim well in water. Animal cougar is able to adapt to life in any area.
Adult cougars most often choose to live alone, with the exceptions being mothers with kittens and mating couples. AT wild nature puma cat lives up to 20 years.
How does a puma hunt?
Cougar is a skilled hunter and an excellent predator. It has very sharp eyesight, so the cougar hunts at dusk and at night. In some cases, it goes hunting during the day. This predatory cat has its own hunting tactics, it is a great strategist.
The wild animal cougar sneaks up to the prey from the leeward side so that it does not smell its scent. The attack of the cougar occurs by jumping on the back of the victim, after which the mountain lion breaks the neck of the prey or grabs the throat with its teeth and begins to choke.
Cougars are very smart and cunning, they hide half-eaten meat by covering it with foliage. Hungry, they return to the hidden prey. Half-eaten carcasses provide food for other surrounding animals.
Puma hunts mainly for deer, elk, guanaco. However, the predatory cougar also eats other animals, including cougars and livestock. In a year, one puma cat eats from 800-1300 kg of meat, which is about 48 ungulates.
The mountain lion of America has thirty teeth, which are strong enough and adapted to tear tissue and break bones. It uses its claws to grab and hold prey.
Cougars are capable of jumping up to 6 meters long and up to 2.5 meters high, running short distances at speeds up to 60 km/h. The American mountain lion has at its disposal a very extensive hunting area. In female cougars, it ranges from 26 to 350 km², and in males, from 140 to 760 km².
Puma cubs: appearance and development
Puma is a rather quiet animal. She emits loud cries only during the mating season, which first occurs at the age of two or three years. The cougar's gestation period is three months. On average, a cougar gives birth to 2-3 cubs, weighing 250-450 g and a body length of 25-30 cm.
Puma kittens differ from adults primarily in color. Baby cougars are brownish gray with black spots that change by one year of age.
Puma cubs open their eyes 2 weeks after birth, their first teeth erupt at the same time. Initially, puma kittens have a pronounced blue eye color, which gradually changes after six months. The spots on the coat begin to fade by 9 months and gradually disappear by 2 years.
Puma kittens start eating adult food at the age of 6 weeks, but milk is still included in their diet. Puma cubs stay with their mother for up to two years, during which time they manage to learn all the necessary skills for survival and hunting, for further independent living.
After that, the cougar cubs go in search of their own hunting grounds, but can stay in groups with brothers and sisters for several months after leaving their mother.
America's largest cat has no natural enemies. Few people dare to fight with the majestic and quick-witted cougar. Only occasionally, some large predators can attack young and inattentive cougars.
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Many are familiar with this graceful, majestic and amazingly beautiful animal. His incredibly beautiful coat, alluring look and habits literally attract attention.
This beast has a huge variety of names - cougar, panther, mountain lion, red tiger. However, he is best known as the cougar. He received this name from the inhabitants of one of the tribes in whose territory he lived. Translated from the native language, this word means "powerful."
Previously, cougars were widespread in almost all areas of the South and North America, however, open hunting for fur and claws, natural disasters and other misfortunes almost destroyed their population.
In this regard, almost all American states have banned the hunting of these wonderful animals in order to help them preserve and increase the number of individuals. The only exception is Texas. This ban worked - in a relatively short period of time, the number of cougars inhabiting the planet increased from several thousand to several tens of thousands.
Among the American representatives of the cat family, the cougar is the largest predator. The body of the cougar is elongated. Perhaps these animals are very similar to cheetahs and leopards. They have long and powerful paws, a small head and a massive tail that performs a balancing role during the jump.
Also, cougars have a specific coloration, which makes it even more unlike their feline relatives. The coat of this animal is quite short, but very thick, which allows cougars to withstand very low temperatures. The main coat color of cougars is sand, but there are species with brownish, bright red or brown shades. The color depends on the habitat: northern cougars are usually gray or light yellow, and southern cougars are reddish.
Cougars are excellent hunters. They have a masterful ability to sneak up on their prey completely unnoticed, without giving themselves away either by voice or by the creak of branches. Absolutely nothing. The jaws of a cougar are powerful enough to easily kill a goat or a ram. However, during the hunt, the cougar first breaks the victim's cervical vertebrae, pouncing from behind.
Both small animals (squirrels) and large ones (moose and deer) become the prey of these animals. There are even cases of killing alligators by a cougar.
Interestingly, the cougar is a very thrifty animal. Not a single individual will ever throw an uneaten piece of meat. Most often they mask the killed game, hide it, burying or throwing it with branches, leaves or snow.
During the mating season, cougars, usually silent animals, announce the surroundings with inviting roars, as if inviting individuals of the opposite sex to mate. Pregnancy lasts about three months, after which 2-3 blind cubs are born. Despite seeming helplessness, puma kittens are strong enough by the end of the first month to get out of the den and play with each other.
The cubs leave their mother at the age of two and set off to seek their own territory. Cougars are solitary, and converge only for the mating period, so young animals have to wage a fierce struggle for survival with older individuals.
It is likely that the cougar population would have been even larger if other large predators and humans had not intervened. In the natural environment, cougars fight bears and wolves, and some even die, entering into an unequal fight. As for human activities, it cannot be said that people kill cougars directly. This is partly due to the settlement of the natural habitat of these beautiful animals.
Puma is a member of the cat family, a species of cougar. There are 6 subspecies of this species. Between themselves, these subspecies differ in size and color.
In the world, this animal is known under different names: cougar, mountain lion, panther and the most common - cougar. The last name comes from the language of the Peruvian Indians. These tribes even had a legend that "puma is a poor child who has embarked on the wrong path." Most likely, they thought so, because cougars often attacked livestock. Another name "American lion" puma received from the first settlers of the New World, who, apparently, were proud of the fact that they have to survive in harsh conditions, where danger awaits them at every corner in the form of a formidable lion.
Description of the cougar or its appearance
Puma is a rather large animal, although it is inferior in size to other large cats. In the Americas, it is the second largest cat in size after the jaguar. In length, the cougar can reach 100-180 cm without a tail. The length of the tail of the animal is from 65 to 75 cm. At the withers, the cougar is from 60 to 80 cm. The weight is from 29 to 105 kg, and males in their dimensions are always much larger than females. The physique of pumas is dense, but flexible. The legs are slender and not high. The paws are large, equipped with sharp hook-shaped claws with four toes on the front paws and five on the back. The head is small and slightly elongated. The fur of the cougars is thick, but short, uniformly colored.
In terms of color and physique, the cougar really resembles a lion, only without a mane and a tassel on the tail. And the babies of the cougar have a spotted skin, like a lynx. 
In different regions of habitat, different subspecies were formed, which differ slightly from each other in color and size. Cougars living in the southern and tropical regions of America have a more golden-red color and are not as large as their relatives of the northern regions. In northern cougars, the coat color is light gray with a reddish undertone. But there are never cougars, the size of which would approach the lion.
Cougar lifestyle and breeding
Cougars lead a solitary lifestyle. They spend their whole lives in their territorial area, where they hunt and give birth to offspring. The territory of one cougar can cover hundreds of square kilometers. For example, the hunting area of one female is from 30 km² to 375 km², and even more for a male - from 130 km² to 750 km². The sites of females and males may overlap, but the sites of males never intersect. Each cougar marks its territory with urine, feces, or leaves marks in the form of scratches on trees.
It is most convenient for this predator to move on the ground, although it also climbs trees superbly. Catching up with its prey, the cougar is able to develop a fairly high speed of up to 65 km / h, as well as make a long jump up to 8 m. The animal also jumps well in height, by about 5-6 meters, and even more from a height down, up to m.
Mostly ungulates, but on occasion they will not disdain even a mouse.
The mating season for cougars lasts all year round, although in the northern subspecies it lasts from December to May. During the mating season, males fight among themselves for the right to mate with the female. The male who won the fight stays with the female for some time. A married couple stays together from 1 to 6 days, for a maximum of 2 weeks. 
Then, after 90 days, babies are born. Puma kittens are born blind, weighing from 200 to 450 grams, no more than 30 cm long. There are often two or three babies in one litter, less often one or five. Babies begin to see 8-10 days after birth, and by the sixth week they begin to eat meat.
Protection and population status of cougars
When the first settlers came to the New World, they considered the puma a formidable and harmful beast that exterminated their livestock. The result was a ruthless and massive extermination of cougars. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were so few cougars left that they began to be called "ghosts of the Wild West." But the destruction of these animals turned into a deplorable result for the people themselves. The populations of armadillos included in the diet of the cougar began to grow very quickly. Armadillos dug burrows into which cattle fell and broke their legs, and then died. As a result, farmers and pastoralists were losing more cows and horses than before. Until recently, the cougar was ruthlessly destroyed, but today it has to be reckoned with. Thanks to many efforts to preserve this species, in our time, the number of cougars has grown and is about 30 thousand individuals. Although several subspecies of cougars are still listed in CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), and the Florida cougar subspecies is even listed in the International Red Book with the status of "critically endangered".
Among the representatives of the cat family, the puma is considered one of the most graceful and strong. The first written descriptions of cougars date back to the 16th century. In another way, they are also called cougars or mountain lions. In the Latin name Puma concolor, the second word means "one-color". The animal is named so because there is no pattern in the color. But the cougar does not look completely black, since her hair is white in the area of \u200b\u200bthe mouth and chin, and her belly is lighter than the back and sides.
Habitat
The puma animal is distributed throughout America. In fact, the habitat of the cougar coincides with the habitat of its main food - deer. Previously, these animals were noticed from the southern territories of Patagonia to southeastern Alaska. Currently, mainly cougars are found in the western United States and Canada in mountainous areas. And in the east, they are completely exterminated - only in Florida, a very small population has survived.
Appearance
In common habitats with other mammals of the cat family, only the jaguar is larger than the cougar. The length of the cougar body itself is 1.2-1.7 meters, and together with the tail - about 2.5 meters. At the withers, an adult is 60-75 cm. The body weight of an adult animal is 75-100 kg. Males are much larger than females - by almost 30% in all respects.
- The body of the cougar is elongated and flexible. On a not very large head - small ears with rounded tips. The legs are not very long, but powerful, and the hind legs are more developed than the front ones. The number of fingers on the hind legs is 4, on the front - 5.
- The look of this cat is mesmerizing. Puma carefully looks at everything around with beautiful hazel eyes, outlined in black. The color of the iris can also be gray or green.
- The cougar's fur is short and hard, with a thick undercoat. On the neck and chest, the black coat has a reddish tint, the ears and the tip of the tail are almost black. Sometimes there may be white marks on the neck, chest and belly. In general, the entire bottom of the body is much lighter than the top.
In representatives of different areas, different shades predominate in color - from red, brown-yellowish and sandy to grayish-brown. It depends on the climate - for example, in the north of America, silver overflows are characteristic of the color, and in the south and in the tropics - red tones.
Puma cubs have a different color - thick fur is strewn with very dark spots, there are stripes on the front and hind legs, and the tail is in “rings”.
The teeth of this predator are strong. With its fangs, the puma animal grabs its prey, and with its incisors it bites the bones and tears the flesh. The age of the animal can be determined by the teeth.
The puma animal moves quickly and dexterously; in a jump, it uses a muscular tail to balance.
Lifestyle and habits
Animal black cougar is a predatory wild mammal. Cougars live in solitude - one by one. Only during the mating season do they find a partner. Then loud cries are announced around the district, which indicate that a couple has formed, and soon there will be offspring.
The cougar marks the area chosen for living along the borders with urine, and leaves scratches on tree trunks. Cougars settle only in those places where good hunting is possible and there are enough shelters. These are forests and plains overgrown with tall grass.
The density of settlement is directly dependent on the "food" found in the area - an average of 80 square meters. km - 1-12 animals. Males cover a hunting area of 100-750 sq. km, females have smaller plots - 30-300 sq. km. Travel distance depends on the time of year. Animals spend winter and summer periods in different areas.
Cougars come out to hunt at dusk, knocking prey down with lightning speed in one jump. During the day they sleep in dens, bask in the sun and lick their fur like all cats.
These predators deftly climb the slopes of the mountains, climb the branches of trees and can swim well. The length of the puma jump is up to 6 m, and in height - more than 2 m. The speed of movement is 50 km / h. A cougar can drag prey in its teeth, the mass of which is 5-7 times greater than its own.
Nutrition
Basically, mountain lions prey on deer and elk. They can attack bighorn (a type of sheep), caribou (small reindeer) or lynx. They also feed on small forest animals - these are squirrels, raccoons, muskrats, beavers. If a cougar lives near human habitation, then a pig or a dog may be its prey. They even eat mice, frogs, snails and insects.
Thanks to the developed speed, the cougar easily catches up with the ostrich, and the ability to jump allows it to catch monkeys. If the prey is larger than the cougar itself, then in a powerful jump the predator knocks it down, breaks its spine or gnaws its throat with its weight. But the fact is that the cougar can not eat all the killed animals and sometimes hunts for the sake of the process itself, and not for the purpose of obtaining food. On average, an adult eats about 1.3 tons of meat per year - this is about 50 ungulates. The cougar buries the half-eaten remains of carcasses in fallen branches and foliage or buries it in the snow. This animal remembers the place and often returns to finish eating. Being aware of this, the Indians took the opportunity - they waited for the mountain lion to go away from the hiding place on business, and took the meat.
reproduction
The mating period for cougars is short: a pair is formed for only 1-2 weeks. Only those females that have their own plot breed. For several females, there is one male - he visits nearby territories in turn.
Pregnancy lasts 82-96 days. 2-3 kittens are born, but sometimes 6. The weight of the newborn is 250-450 g, the body length is 25-30 cm. The eyes of the kittens are opened on the 10th day, at the same time they begin to hear and their teeth erupt . The color of the skins is spotted, on the tails there are dark rings. As they grow older - by about 9 months of age - the spots and rings disappear, and by 2 years the color becomes completely even.
At 1.5 months, the kittens' teeth have almost grown - they are able to eat themselves, but still continue to feed on mother's milk. At this time, the female has the most difficult period, since she has to get meat not only for herself, but also for babies. That is, the volume of production should be three times more.
Cougar cubs up to 1.5-2 years old live with their mother, and then leave to look for their own sites. At first they stay in a group, and when they reach maturity, they leave their brethren. Females become fertile at 2.5 years, males - by 3 years.
Under natural conditions, cougars live 15-18 years. In captivity - more than 20 years.
natural enemies
There are almost none of them, with the exception of large predators - wolves, alligators and jaguars, and then - if the puma is weakened by the disease, old or it is a young inexperienced individual.
Cases of cougar attacks on people are rare. The cougar will attack a person only if he runs or appears suddenly, that is, when the animal is perceived as an aggressor. This usually happens at dusk or at night - when the animal has hunting hours. Basically, cougars, on the contrary, avoid meeting a person.
Cougars have strong nerves and great patience - once caught in a trap, they do not fight, like, for example, tigers, but patiently free themselves from their shackles, and they can do this for several days.
Puma is a pet: is it possible and is it worth keeping them at home? The experience of the Berberov family in the 80s of the last century was so unsuccessful that the story ended in tragedy. But lovers of the exotic and followers of the fashion for keeping unusual wild animals, provided that it is possible to ensure the safety of the household, today they can afford to keep the cougar animal in captivity.
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Cougar, deer tiger, brown jaguar, Mexican lion, red tiger, mountain cat and many other equally expressive names - and this is all about the cougar. By the way, puma in the language of the Peruvian Indians means the name of a wild beauty and sounds like "Quechua". It belongs to the family of small cats, despite the fact that in America it is considered the second largest, second only to the jaguar.
The cougar has an elongated flexible body on average about 1.5 meters in length, a small head and small ears, strong and wide paws, the hind legs are longer and more muscular than the front ones. It can weigh from 25 to 100 kg., It all depends on gender and age.
It is thanks to the difference in the length of the hind and front legs that the cougar makes unusually spectacular jumps. Although she is not strong in running. For long distances, she lacks endurance, and for short ones - about 60 km per hour.
But, despite this, she can climb trees admirably, swim wonderfully and easily overcome huge abysses with a graceful jump.
The cougar lives mainly in mountainous areas, since there is little competition among predators, and there are more than enough ungulates, which they love so much.
It has a yellowish-brown or red-brown color and short, hard fur. There are black spots on the muzzle of the predator, while the belly, throat and chest are almost white.
Proud red cats are paired only during the mating season, which occurs from December to March, and the rest of the year they are separated from each other in marked areas that never intersect.
Pregnancy lasts from 82 to 95 days and after that wonderful cubs are born - from 1 to 6 in a litter. Kittens are not born in a single color like a mother, but spotted and with blue eyes. And as they grow older, they change coat color and eye color. In order to feed the cubs, for a long period, the mother must actively hunt, since kittens go on independent searches at the age of 1.5-2 years.
Puma's favorite food is deer, but like any cat, she does not refuse mice. In general, the menu of these predators is quite diverse and rich - it includes raccoons, opossums, squirrels, rabbits, and even frogs with grasshoppers.
The cougar's hunting tactic is a sudden, lightning-fast jump on the victim's back, followed by a bite to the neck, leaving no chance of survival. They bury the prey that has not been eaten, and then throw it with branches - for later.
Puma is an extremely patient and silent animal. Even if she fell into a trap, she will never panic, but calmly try to free herself, and silently, overcoming pain, and if she doesn’t succeed, she falls into melancholy at all and lies motionless.
Cougars do not attack people and diligently avoid meeting with them; it is not for nothing that this animal is called one of the most modest cats in the world. An attack can occur only in the event of a very strong exhaustion of the predator or in order to protect offspring - in any other situations, the animal does not show aggression.
Video from the brilliant film The Bear, filmed in 1988 (dir. Jean-Jacques Annaud). Never give up! An orphaned teddy bear was attacked by a cougar.
