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Are there black cougars? Animal puma: description, beautiful photos and pictures, interesting video about pumas. Lifestyle and habitat

A bright representative The cat family is the puma or mountain lion. This cat lives only on the American continent. The animal inhabits all of South America. IN North America it lives in Mexico, as well as in the western mountainous regions of the United States and Canada. In the east of the mainland, the puma lives only in Florida, representing a very small population.

Currently, there are 6 subspecies of this cat, and 5 of them live in Latin America. The North American subspecies lives in North America. Argentina has been chosen by the Argentine mountain lion. The Costa Rican subspecies is very small in number, as it cannot compete with jaguars. The northern South American subspecies is found in Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and northern Brazil. There are also eastern and southern South American subspecies. They differ from each other in color and physique.

Appearance

The puma or mountain lion is a large cat and is second in size only to the jaguar, which is also an inhabitant of the American continent exclusively. In general, among large predatory cats, the mountain lion takes 5th place. It gives way to the tiger, African and Asiatic lions, as well as the already mentioned jaguar.

The height at the withers of the animal ranges from 60 to 90 cm. The body length from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail in males is about 2.4 meters. Females are smaller. Their length does not exceed 2 meters. The tail has a length of 65 to 95 cm. The weight of males ranges from 55 to 100 kg. Average weight about 63 kg. Ladies weigh from 30 to 65 kg. Average weight is 42 kg. That is, the fair sex is more graceful and inferior strong half by 20 kg.

The smallest sizes are pumas that live near the equator. The animals living in the northern regions of America are distinguished by the most powerful physique. The largest mountain lion was shot in Arizona. His weight reached 125 kg. In British Columbia, there were cougars that weighed 95 kg.

The puma has a round head and small erect ears. There are five claws on the front paws and four on the hind paws. The claws are retractable, and the hind legs are more massive than the front ones. The color of adult predators is uniform. Coat color can vary not only among subspecies, but even between siblings. It can be dark yellow, silver-gray or red. The lower part of the body is lighter than the upper. On the throat and lower jaw the fur has a whitish tint. The same color next to the black stripes under the nose - in those places where the mustache grows. The tail ends with a black tip. The iris of the eyes is light brown.

Newborns have blue eyes. The body is covered with dark spots, and the tail is decorated with dark rings. With age, the spotted skin changes to a solid color. Dark spots sometimes remain in the abdomen and legs. There are mountain lions with white fur, but black pumas, unlike jaguars and leopards, do not exist in nature.

Thanks to its powerful hind limbs, the puma has excellent jumping ability. The animal's jumping height reaches 5.5 meters. The cat can jump 12 meters in length. When running, it reaches speeds of up to 70 km/h. But he never runs long distances, preferring a quick and short throw. Excellent climber on rocks and trees, swims well. In a word, the animal is ideally adapted to life and hunting, both in mountainous areas and on open, flat terrain.

Hunting

The cat hunts at night. The animal's diet is very varied. Any living creature, regardless of size, falls into the fanged mouth. The mountain lion eats birds, insects, and does not disdain fish. But the main diet is, of course, the meat of deer, elk, horses, and wild sheep. Ungulates make up 95% of the diet predatory cat. The size of the victim does not frighten her. The puma jumps on the back of the ungulate, breaks its neck or strangles it with its powerful jaws. The prey is usually dragged to a secluded place. He eats some, and hides the remaining meat, covering it on top with leaves, branches or snow.

The animal returns to its reserves regularly. Usually a large elk or deer lasts a cat for 10 days. A female, burdened with cubs, goes hunting once every three days. The mountain lion does not eat carrion or living creatures killed by another animal. But I enjoy hunting livestock. Moreover, he often slaughters sheep and goats all in a row, although he can only take one victim with him. The predator does not disdain its brothers belonging to the cat family.

Cougars live in splendid isolation. Each male and female has its own territory. For representatives of the stronger sex it reaches 50 square meters. km, sometimes much more. Ladies are not distinguished by such scope. Their holdings are usually limited to 20-25 square meters. km. The boundaries are indicated by urine and feces. Mountain lions hunt on their lands. They try not to wander into foreign territory to avoid conflicts. They unite in pairs only during the mating season. This is a very short period of time - no more than 10 days.

Reproduction and lifespan

Females reach sexual maturity at the age of 3 years. They have one litter every 2-3 years. Pregnancy lasts 3 months. The expectant mother makes a lair in a cave or some kind of stone niche. Usually 2-3 cubs are born. Sometimes there is 1, and at times as many as 6 babies. They are born blind. Milk feeding lasts 3 months. Upon reaching this age, the cubs begin to go hunting with their mother. From 6 months they try to hunt small animals on their own.

Young cougars live with their mother for up to 2 years. Just by this time, their skins “lose” their spots and acquire a uniform shade. Males leave their mother earlier, females later. The stronger sex goes as far as possible from the maternal territory and tries to create its own plot of land. This often results in conflicts with other males. In this case, young animals often die. From one litter, as a rule, only 1 cub survives. Young females do not move far from their mother’s land and try to find land for themselves closer to their parent.

A cat lives in wildlife on average from 8 to 14 years. In captivity, pumas live up to 20 years. In the USA, there was a case where one female lived to be 30 years old. This long-liver died in 2007. This is possible with proper care and attention to the animal from humans. Timely provision of medical care is also important.

Enemies

The mountain lion's enemies include a grizzly bear and a jaguar. True, it must be said right away that clubfoot is for a predatory cat big threat has no idea. Rather, the puma itself can feast on the cubs if the bear is gaping. But the jaguar is a dangerous adversary. This powerful and strong beast very fierce and aggressive. It can easily kill a young cougar. This predator also represents serious competition in the hunt.

Man has always mercilessly shot the mountain lion, as it posed a threat to livestock. However, this did not greatly affect the population, but not in all subspecies. If we talk about cats living in Florida, today there are only 87 of them. In total in western regions There are about 30 thousand pumas living in the USA and Canada. In general, the population of the species is not of concern to people. Those subspecies that are small in number are protected by law.

There are all sorts of cats in the world - from small and fluffy pets to formidable and extremely dangerous predators belonging to the cat family. One of the representatives of this large family is the puma - a graceful, strong and very beautiful animal.

Distribution and subspecies

IN old times The puma's habitat was considered to be the largest among all mammals in the United States. And even today, in terms of the breadth of its distribution, this graceful cat comparable (from the cat family) only to the forest cat, red lynx and handsome leopard. Nowadays, in America and Canada, the puma is preserved mainly in the mountainous regions in the west of the country. In the east, the puma was completely exterminated. The only exception is a very small population of the rare subspecies Puma concolor coryi, which lives in Florida.

According to eyewitness accounts, today the cougar is often found in the province of Quebec in Canada and in Vermont (USA).

Florida cougar

This is the rarest puma. The animal, whose wild population was only 160 individuals in 2011, lives in the swamps and forests of southern Florida. Its rapid disappearance is explained by the draining of swamps, poisoning, and sport hunting.

The Florida cougar is relatively small in size. The coat color is reddish, dark. As a result of inbreeding, the puma acquired a curved tail tip. Currently, American scientists are going to cross Florida pumas with representatives of other subspecies in order to create a stable, self-regulating population.

Black cougar

In nature, there are white cougars, as well as dark brown individuals that are found in America. The black puma is a rather mythical animal. Scientists say that the black puma and the melanistic puma do not exist in nature.

Previously, there were reports of the discovery of melanistic pumas, leucists, and albinos. Reports of black cougars came from the South and Central America. A black cougar killed in Costa Rica in 1959 was found to be dark brown, not black.

A black cougar was reported to have been spotted in Kentucky, but it was later discovered that the cat had a lighter belly. This means that the animal was dark brown in color.

A cougar with a black face, throat and chest was shot and killed in Idaho in the fall of 2007. Behind her ear was black spot, which was recognized by scientists as the phenomenon of partial melanism. For official confirmation this fact A captive cougar with known parents is required. Therefore, today data on the existence of black pumas have not yet been confirmed.

External features

The puma is an animal whose description can be found in all publications devoted to the life of predators. Not only experts, but also ordinary animal lovers are interested in the habits of these beauties.

One of the largest predators from the cat family that lives in the United States today is the cougar. The animal is second in size only to the jaguar. This cat has a body length of up to 180 cm, with a tail length of 75 cm. The height at the withers reaches 76 cm. The weight of an adult male is approximately 105 kg. Females are 30% smaller than males.

The puma is an animal with a flexible and elongated body, low paws and a small head. The hind legs are much more massive than the front legs. The tail is muscular, long, and evenly pubescent.

The paws are wide, ending in sharp, retractable, curved claws. The fingertips are oval.

Coat and color

The puma (photos of the animal can be seen in all reference books about predators) has thick, short and coarse fur. Cougars are the only cats in America that are solid in color.

Adult animals have grayish-brown or brownish-yellow fur. In this case, the lower side of the body is much lighter than the upper. The color of pumas is similar to the color of their main prey - deer. There are light tan marks on the throat, chest and belly, and black spots on the muzzle. The ears are dark, the tail ends with a black spot. Pumas living in tropical areas are red, while northern ones are gray in color.

Cubs have much thicker fur. She has dark stripes, spots on her hind and forelimbs, and rings on her tail.

Lifestyle

Cougars live in different areas - from plains to fairly high mountains(4700 m), in different landscapes - in coniferous forests of the mountains, on grassy plains, in the pampas. In a word, the puma is an animal that lives in any area. She just has to find enough food and safe shelter there.

These wild animals try to avoid wetlands and lowlands. The puma gives such territories to jaguars, who have chosen such places. These predators are well adapted to life in rough terrain. Muscular limbs allow them to jump up to six meters in length and up to two and a half meters in height. When running, pumas reach speeds of up to 50 km/h (though only over short distances).

The puma (you can see a photo of the animal in our article) is an animal that prefers to live alone. Families are formed only in mating season. Population density depends on the availability of game.

The female's hunting range ranges from 26 to 350 square kilometers. A male's home range can cover a huge area of up to 760 square kilometers. In its area, the puma moves in accordance with the season. In winter it can be in one area, and in summer in another.

Hunting

The cougar comes out at night to hunt for prey. Its diet consists mainly of ungulates - deer, elk, bighorn sheep. She will not refuse livestock either.

At the same time, the cougar feeds on a variety of animals - from squirrels and mice to lynxes, coyotes and even cougars. Unlike leopards and tigers, the puma does not make any distinction between domestic and wild animals, often attacking livestock, cats, and dogs. At the same time, it kills much more living creatures than it can eat.

When hunting, a cougar uses the factor of surprise - it sneaks up on large prey and with quite close range jumps on the back of his victim and breaks his neck. The puma consumes up to 1300 kg of meat per year. Predators hide the remains of their prey by covering it with brushwood, leaves or snow. They can return to this storage repeatedly.

The puma is a very strong and resilient animal that is capable of dragging a carcass that is five to seven times its own weight over a long distance.

In nature, pumas have no enemies. Only occasionally large predators(grizzlies, jaguars, wolves) attack young and sick individuals.

Attacks on people

Unlike other predators, pumas rarely attack humans. They prefer to avoid meeting him. Since 1890, about 100 attacks on humans have been officially recorded in the United States and Canada. Sixteen of them are over fatal. The attacks occurred at night or at dusk.

Other names for pumas are cougar or mountain lion. This predator even got into the Guinness Book of Records as an animal with the largest number titles. Only in English language there are more than forty of them.

These bodies wild cats it can reach two meters in length, and the height at the withers is usually about a meter. The weight of an adult puma is 70-80 kg, and males are always heavier than females. The puma's head is small, round in shape, and its ears are erect.

The cougar's fur is short and thick, and the color is most often reddish, and top part the body is darker than the underside. There are black markings on the face and ears.

The puma has a very strong jaw and teeth, which are usually used to determine the age of the animal. A cougar can make different sounds:

hisses;
growls;
purrs almost like a domestic cat.

Massive hind legs allow you to run quickly and deftly climb trees, and a long and strong tail helps you maintain balance while jumping. Interesting fact: Cougars have four toes on their hind paws and five on their front paws.

It was previously believed that there were more than 25 species of these wild cats, but now, based on modern genetic research Six species of puma have been identified, associated with the corresponding phylogeographic groups.

The puma is a very patient animal. Once in a trap, she does not go crazy like other predators from the cat family, and after several unsuccessful attempts to free herself, she falls into melancholy and can sit motionless for several days.

Puma is a dangerous hunter

The puma is a very dangerous and skillful hunter. This predator has excellent vision and can hunt even in dark time days.

This wild cat is a real strategist. She usually attacks from an ambush: she quietly creeps up from the leeward side of her prey and with lightning speed jumps onto the victim’s back. After which the cougar breaks the neck of the prey or strangles it, grabbing the throat with strong teeth.

Mountain lions can make jumps up to 6 meters long and 3-4 meters high. In addition, the puma is capable of making flying jumps to the ground from a height of 18 meters.

They reach speeds of up to 70 km/h, but they do not have enough endurance to run long distances. In search of food, the cougar can travel quite long distances.

The puma most often hunts the following wild animals:

moose;
deer;
guanaco.

These predators do not disdain livestock either. Wyoming, Colorado and Utah are home to a species of cougar nicknamed Hippolestes, which means “horse killer.”

When urgently needed, they feed on lynxes, squirrels and raccoons. The puma also loves to feast on the armadillo, managing to break its thick shell.

During the year, one cougar eats about 800-1300 kg of meat.

Pumas are very cunning animals; they hide uneaten meat by covering it with snow or leaves. When hungry, they can return to previously hidden prey several times.

Mountain lions have virtually no enemies in the wild. Exception - serious illness animal. In this case, the puma may be threatened by jaguars, wolves or alligators.

As for people, cougars avoid meeting people and very rarely attack tourists or local residents.

Reproduction and care of offspring

Cougars are loners; they actively mark their territory, thereby making it clear to other brethren that this place is occupied. Depending on the population density, the size of a puma’s personal holdings can reach up to one thousand square kilometers.

Cougars communicate with each other only during the mating season. Then they each go back to their own territory. During mating games animals emit loud meowing cries that can be heard over a radius of more than 3 km.

Females reach reproductive age at around 2 years of age and produce an average of one litter every 2-3 years.

Pregnancy in pumas lasts three months. Typically, wild cats give birth to 2 to 5 cubs per litter, each kitten weighing about 300-400 g.

Puma kittens have a special color. The fur of the cubs has a brownish-gray tint with bright black spots, which changes after a year.

Like domestic cat, puma babies are born “blind”; after two weeks they open their eyes. At first, kittens' eyes are bright blue, then gradually change.

Puma cubs begin to hunt small prey and eat adult food at the age of 6 weeks, but mother's milk is still included in their daily diet.

Kittens remain with their mother until they are almost two years old. During this period, they manage to master all the necessary skills for survival and hunting.

The mountain lion cubs then set off to find their own hunting grounds, although at first they can stay in groups with brothers and sisters.

The lifespan of cougars is about twenty years.

Puma as a pet

IN Lately It became fashionable to have wild animals as pets. Is not correct solution, which can turn into disaster, especially for people who are far from knowledge about the world of wildlife.

Before you get a cougar at home you need to know:

all the subtleties of the content wild beast captive;
be aware of your real financial and physical capabilities;
study information about the animal in advance;
obtain all permits;
consult with specialists (breeders).

In zoos, pumas live quite well, for a long time and even bear offspring. The main thing is to provide them the necessary conditions and competent care.

Natural habitats of pumas

Before appearing on the American continent, pumas lived in all forests and mountainous areas New World - from northwest Canada to the Strait of Magellan and from Atlantic Ocean to Tikhoy.

Now the puma lives in South and North America and inhabits a very large area: from Canada to Patagonia. She lives mainly in mountainous areas and feels comfortable at altitude. The puma can also be found in coniferous and tropical forests. In the Chilean Cordillera, pumas can reach heights of up to 3,000 meters.
Wild cats easily move along rocks and mountain slopes, climb trees well and can swim. The mountain lion can adapt to life in almost any environment.

They choose places to live and hunt where deer live - their main prey.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the population of mountain lions sharply decreased, and a very substantial bonus was even awarded for a killed individual.

Officially, puma hunting is prohibited. This necessary measure to restore animal numbers. However, violations of the law often occur and pumas continue to be exterminated due to the damage they cause to farming and livestock. After a while, it was possible to return the number of pumas to almost the previous level.

What is noteworthy is that the destruction of these predatory animals turns against people. As a result of hunting for pumas, the natural balance is disrupted and the number of armadillos (the favorite food of pumas) sharply increases. Armadillos dig holes, cattle step into them and break their legs. As a result, pastoralists suffer huge losses.

The Florida subspecies of pumas, which are smaller and lighter in color, suffered the most. The Florida cougar originally ranged from Texas to the southeastern states. Its range is now limited to South Florida.

The total Florida cougar population was estimated at approximately 300 individuals by the early 1980s. In 2003 this type was listed in the Red Book.

The puma is a predatory animal from the Feline family. Skillful and adroit hunter, one of the brightest and most graceful representatives big cats. In this article you can see a description and photo of a puma, 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 puma looks like a strong cat, it has a very flexible body, with a long, muscular tail. The paws are adapted for climbing trees. The puma has short and thick fur.

Adult pumas are predominantly reddish in color, with the undersides of the body being lighter than the top. Cat face with black markings and dark ears.

The body length of the puma is 100-180 cm, the tail length is 60-75 cm. Height at the withers is 60-90 cm, the weight of the puma can reach 100 kg. It is noteworthy that males are much larger than females. The average weight of females ranges from 30-50 kg, and that of males – 60-80 kg.

This wild cat has other names. Puma is also called mountain lion and cougar.

The puma is a foreign representative of large wild cats. The puma lives in Northern and South America, inhabits a fairly large area, from Yukon (Canada) to Patagonia (South America).

The puma animal lives in mountainous areas and is not afraid of high altitudes. It also prefers living in coniferous and tropical forests, and is found in swamps and plains.

Pumas are almost universal; they easily move along mountain slopes and rocks, climb trees well, and can swim well in water. The cougar animal is able to adapt to life in any area.

Adult cougars most often choose to live alone, with the exception of mothers with kittens and mating couples. In the wild, a puma cat lives up to 20 years.

How does a puma hunt?

The cougar is a skilled hunter and an excellent predator. Has very sharp vision, so the puma hunts at dusk and in the dark. In some cases, it goes out hunting during the day. This predatory cat has its own hunting tactics and is a great strategist.

The wild animal puma sneaks up on its prey from the leeward side so that it does not smell its scent. A puma attack 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 strangle.

Pumas are very smart and cunning; they hide uneaten meat by covering it with leaves. When hungry, they return to the hidden prey. Uneaten carcasses provide food for other surrounding animals.

The puma hunts mainly deer, elk, and guanaco. However, the predatory cougar also feeds on 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 American mountain lion has thirty teeth, which are strong enough and adapted to tear tissue and break bones. It uses its claws to capture and hold prey.

Cougars are capable of jumping up to 6 meters long and up to 2.5 meters high, and running short distances at speeds of up to 60 km/h. The American mountain lion has a very extensive hunting area at its disposal. For female pumas it ranges from 26 to 350 km², and for males it ranges from 140 to 760 km².

Cougar cubs: appearance and development

The puma is a fairly quiet animal. She makes loud screams only during the mating season, which first occurs at the age of two or three years. The pregnancy duration of a cougar is three months. On average, a puma gives birth to 2-3 cubs, weighing 250-450 g and body length 25-30 cm.

Cougar kittens differ from adults primarily in color. Cougar cubs have a brownish-gray coloration with black spots, which changes by the age of one year.

Cougar cubs open their eyes 2 weeks after birth, and 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 fade by 2 years.

Puma kittens begin to eat 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 survival and hunting skills for further independent life.

After that, the cougar cubs go in search of their own hunting grounds, but can stay in groups with their brothers and sisters for several months after leaving their mother.

America's largest cat has no natural enemies. Few people would dare to fight the majestic and smart puma. Only occasionally, some large predators can attack young and inattentive pumas.

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Niramin - Nov 12th, 2015

The puma or mountain lion lives in North and South America, preferring to settle in mountainous areas. However, the animal can be found in forests on the plain and even in swampy areas.

For a long time, the puma was classified as a member of the cat family, but the animal is one of a kind. At first glance, the puma looks a lot like a cat, but many features distinguish it from representatives of this large family. This statement applies more long body and tail, reaching a total of 1.5 to 2.8 meters, strong powerful paws, a relatively small head and the absence of a pronounced pattern on the coat. The puma's fur is very thick and short, colored in sandy shades. Only on the belly the fur is lighter in color, and the ears are black. This predator weighs from 50 to 100 kg. It is worth noting that females are one third smaller than males, and pumas living in the north are much larger than individuals living in the southern regions.

These inhabitants of the New World feed mainly on deer and mountain sheep, but peccaries do not refuse wild pigs, as well as squirrels and rabbits. Cougars hunt anything that moves and willingly eat everything. The exception is foul-smelling skunks, which these predators do not eat precisely because of their unattractive odor. Cougars hide food in reserve if they cannot consume it all at once.

Like all cats, silent cougars emit heartbreaking screams during the mating period. The female gives birth to 2 or 4 spotted cubs, the color of which changes as the year progresses. Babies stay with their mother until they are 2 years old, after which they set off to conquer their own space. These live american cats up to 20 years.

Since cougars are solitary, they avoid people. However, if a person behaves carelessly and encroaches on the territory of an animal, an attack by this predator with all the ensuing consequences is possible.

Due to the invasion of puma habitats, individual species These animals are on the verge of extinction. An example is the Florida cougar population, which has reached a critical level at which natural recovery has become impossible.

We invite you to look at a gallery of photos of the American predator - the puma:

Puma thought about it.

A puma carries its baby in its teeth.

Photo: Puma on a tree.