Puma vs cougar vs mountain lion

What's the difference between a puma, a cougar and a mountain lion?

Their range extends further south through Mexico , where they are found in nearly every state, to the Amazon Rainforest and the southern Andes Mountains in Patagonia. The puma as it is called in Spanish inhabits every mainland country in Central and South America , making it the most widely distributed large, wild, terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere , and one of the most widespread on planet Earth. It is an adaptable, generalist species , occurring in most American habitat types. It prefers habitats with dense underbrush and rocky areas for stalking but also lives in open areas. The cougar is largely solitary by nature and considered both nocturnal and crepuscular , although daytime sightings do occur. It is an ambush predator that pursues a wide variety of prey. Primary food sources are ungulates , particularly deer , but it also hunts smaller prey, such as rodents.

Puma vs cougar vs mountain lion

Few large mammals enjoy so many common names as the puma Puma concolor , the second-largest cat in the Americas after the jaguar. This supple and muscular hunter has an enormous range -- from the Yukon to Patagonia -- which may partly explain all the nomenclatural variety. Native Americans and Euro-Americans have bestowed numerous other epithets upon P. Still other names include swamp screamer, Indian devil and ghost cat. Large males may weigh up to kilograms pounds or more. Long, muscular hindlegs give pumas superb jumping ability: They've been documented making horizontal leaps of 14 meters 45 feet , and one cat was seen springing 3. They're at home in a staggering variety of settings, from desert scrub to tropical rainforest to rugged subalpine forest. Their coats are tawny, reddish or grayish brown -- although occasionally melanistic, or all-black, individuals are recorded. Cubs, meanwhile, are patterned with spots and stripes that fade with age. On an adult puma, the most intricate coloration typically lies on the face, often defined by bold black accents around the muzzle as well as black marks on the backs of the ears. He holds a B. Updated March 13, Related Articles Characteristics of a Jackal.

They use pheromones and physical signs like claw markings or feces to define their territory. Archived from the original on August 23, Game animals and shooting in North America.

Did you know the cougar holds one of the Guinness World Records for having the most names? Often called "the cat of many names," it's referred to as the puma, panther, mountain cat, mountain lion, mountain screamer, painter and catamount, just to name a few. In fact, the cougar has more monikers than almost any other living mammal, around 40 in English alone. The reason: The name used depends on location, and there are a lot of those to be had. Due to the cougar's knack for adaptability — think a fast and powerful muscular body, sharp eyesight and keen hearing, as well as the ability to swim, climb trees and jump long distances — this cat can be seen thriving in many varied habitats, from the Southern Andes in South America to the Yukon in Canada, and everywhere from forests to open areas with sparse vegetation. Current mountain lion ranges in the western portion of the U.

The mountain lion—also known as the cougar, puma, panther, or catamount—is a large cat species native to the Americas. Mountain lions are large, tan cats. Their bodies are mainly covered in tawny-beige fur, except for the whitish-gray belly and chest. Black markings decorate the tip of the tail, ears, and around the snout. Mountain lions vary hugely in average body size depending on geographic location—their size is smallest closer to the equator and largest closer to the poles.

Puma vs cougar vs mountain lion

What's in a name? Mountain lion, puma, cougar, panther—this cat is known by more names than just about any other mammal! Mostly because it has such a large range, and people from different countries have called it different things. Early Spanish explorers of North and South America called it leon lion and gato monte cat of the mountain , from which we get the name "mountain lion. All of these names are considered correct, but in Southern California they are commonly called mountain lions.

Asslick

Adventure cruising aboard expedition ships. Southern spotted skunk S. Game animals and shooting in North America. Learn more about these powerful predators, including how to identify them, their different names and where they live. The effort proved successful and prevented the state animal from becoming extinct. Which destinations interests you most? Tools Tools. These ranges overlap, so the cats share some parts. Retrieved August 30, More than one-third of U. They take what they want — including thousands of sheep each year. Retrieved February 15, Her features have included olms cave salamanders in Slovenia, arapaima very big fish in Guyana, and the role of hippos as ecosystem engineers in Zambia. Read More. Chicago [etc.

National Parks.

Their numbers dwindled to as few as 25 to 30 by the early s. White-tailed mongoose I. For example, he explains, the Incas called the animal puma, while the name cougar is a version of the old South American Indian word cuguacuarana which was shortened to cuguar , and then spelled differently. African clawless otter A. Classification: Mammal. For example, while South American jaguars are comparatively large, and may exceed 90 kg lb , [36] North American jaguars in Mexico's Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve weigh approximately 50 kg lb , about the same as female cougars. The young may stay with their mother for as long as 26 months, but usually separate after about 15 months. Archived from the original on August 12, The Wildlife Society. Scientists classify the mountain lion as a small cat, as it does not roar, but purrs like smaller cats do. Cat News 68 : 31— Retrieved August 21, Click any of the buttons below to get in touch with us. Yellow mongoose C. Retrieved July 27,