Next
to the bears, this is the largest, most powerful Canadian predator. Once
numerous from the Atlantic to the Pacific, habitat destruction has reduced
much of its range. The cougar has the greatest natural distribution of any
mammal in the Western Hemisphere except for man.
Zoological name: Felis concolor
Distribution: Western North America from British Columbia and south
Alberta south through west Wyoming to California and west Texas. Also south
Texas, Louisiana, south Alabama, Tennessee, and peninsular Florida.
Physical appearance: Cougars have a reddish-brown to gray fur with
light throat and under parts depending on where it lives, in dry areas it is
likely to be brown. It's more reddish in tropical areas and usually gray in
the north. They also have longer fur in the colder areas and shorter fur in
warmer climates. The very end of it's tail is black.
Reproduction and Offspring: There is no fixed mating season, but in
North America, the majority of births occur between late winter and early
spring. Females tend to reproduce every other year, and give birth to
litters of 1 ? 6 (usually 2-3) kittens after a gestation of 90-96 days.
Mothers give birth to their young in dens that are lined with moss or
vegetation, usually in rock shelters, crevices, piles of rocks, thickets,
caves, or some other protected place. Kittens weigh approximately 7-16
ounces at birth, and have spotted coats until they are around 6 months old.
Hunting and Diet: Cougars primarily feed on large mammals,
preferring deer, but they will also eat Coyotes, Porcupines, Beaver, mice
marmots, hares, raccoons, birds and even grasshoppers. They kill by stalking
to within 30 feet of their prey before pouncing from its hiding place. It
leaps onto its victim?s back and bites into the neck and holds with its
sharp claws.
Principal Threats: According to 2001 statistics provided from actual
sales of hunting permits, almost 2100 cougars are still being killed each
year. This figure does not include all the cougars killed by hunters who do
not buy licenses nor report their kills. Less than 6% of our population are
hunters but they kill over 100 million animals each year for sport.
Status: CITES: Appendix I, USDI: Endangered
Life span: 12 years
Know more about Cougar!
The first record of this species dates back to 1840-50 when John Oliver
reported that he heard of two "panthers" being killed in Cades
Cove. In 1859, Buckley noted that the "panther" was troublesome to
the mountain farmers of North Carolina and Tennessee, destroying their sheep
and hogs.
