Cougar Facts, T&D's Cats of the World

Cougar Facts

Common Name: Cougar, Mountain Lion, Puma
Species: Felis [Puma] concolor
Diet: Carnivore; deer, elk and small animals
Weight: 70-200 pounds
Height at shoulder: 22-31 inches
Body length: 3.5-5 feet
Tail length: 24-28 inches
Subspecies: 29
Range/Distribution: North and South America (minus the arctic)
Lifespan: 15 - 20 years

Powerful Jumper!

The graceful cougar is the grand champion jumper of all cats. Its exceptionally powerful hind legs can propel it thirty feet (30 ft) forward from a stand still and up to eighteen feet (18 ft) straight up! This jumping agilely is needed for hunting fleet animals along mountain cliffs. Note the common name of Mountain Lion.

Elegant Looks!

Attaining the weight of one hundred to two hundred pounds, the cougar is the largest of the lesser (smaller) cats. It is slenderly built with a smallish head and a long tail for good balance. It is sometimes called a panther, but that is incorrect as only the leopard is a panther. It can not roar and has a distinctive call somewhere between a cough and a snarl. Its coat is a uniform tawny color with lighter under-parts and white on the chin and throat. It sports a white moustache.

Vanishing from the Wild!

Less than one hundred years ago the cougar was one of the top predators of North and South America (except the arctic). It is rapidly vanishing from large portions of the U.S. and Canada as rural land becomes cities.

A skillful Hunter!

The cougar is very territorial and must have large area to hunt. It hunts by day, primarily from the ground but occasionally from high rocks, low cliffs, or trees, and seeks deer, sheep, goats, peccary, capybara and other similarly-sized game. It will occasionally stalk livestock when other prey is scarce, and this has made it the enemy of sheep and cattle raisers.

Habitat:

Cougars are found in a wide variety of habitats including forests, grasslands, swamps, and semi-desert areas.

Habits:

Solitary, cougars avoid their own kind, except at mating season. Cougars avoid human settlements when establishing their territory, but that grows harder and harder to do. But if people move into their established territory they will not desert it.

Population:

Because of their stealth and nocturnal lifestyle, it is near impossible to accurately count the cougars of this vast land. Here at T&D's we have 13.

Resources: All cougar infomation was gather on the Internet at various websites.
Please check out pur Cougar Links page.

Cougars Voice:

Cougar Purring (70 KB wav file)
Female Cougar in Heat (170 KB wav file)
Be prepared to listen to this horrific sound endlessly for weeks on end if you possess an unspayed cougar. (A great reason not to own one!)

Cougar Voices are courtesy of Wild About Cats

Cougar Links:

Check out our Cougar Links page for links to Cougar Information web pages.

Cougars at T&D's...

We now have thirteen (13) cougars! The cougars are NOT allowed to breed! All are neutered/spayed or housed separated as they are not endangered and there are too many unwanted ones in captivity.

Why? Because cougars breed readily in captivity and their cubs are sold as 'cute pets' to people that don't know what they are getting into! The cute little cub grows rapidly into a large powerful cat that is always hungry for fresh expensive meat. Zoos have their own cougars and will not take these now unwanted pets.

Meet T&D's Cougars
Meet our Cougars!

You are their hope. Help us to support these spectacular animals. Please contact us...

(570) 837-3377 or Email tdscats@csrlink.net.

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