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Are there black cougars. Cougar animal: description, beautiful photos and pictures, interesting video about cougars. Lifestyle and habitat

A striking representative of the cat family is the cougar or mountain lion. This cat lives only on the American continent. The beast inhabits all of South America. In North America, it lives in Mexico, as well as in the western highlands of the United States and Canada. In the east of the mainland, the cougar 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 was chosen for itself by the Argentine mountain lion. The subspecies of Costa Rica is very small, as it cannot compete with jaguars. The northern South American subspecies is Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, and northern Brazil. There are also eastern and southern South American subspecies. They differ from each other in color and body type.

Appearance

The cougar 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 the large predatory cats, the mountain lion takes the 5th place. He gives way to the palm tiger, African and Asian lion, as well as the already mentioned jaguar.

The height at the withers of the beast ranges from 60 to 90 cm. The length of the body from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail in males is about 2.4 meters. The 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. The average weight is about 63 kg. Ladies weigh from 30 to 65 kg. The average weight is 42 kg. That is, the fair sex is more elegant and inferior to the strong half by 20 kg.

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

The cougar has a round head and small erect ears. There are five claws on the front paws, four on the back. The claws are retractable, and the hind legs are more massive than the front ones. The color of adult predators is monochromatic. Coat color can vary not only among subspecies, but even among 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 hair 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 in color.

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 plain one. Dark spots sometimes remain in the abdomen and on the legs. Mountain lions with white hair come across, but black cougars, unlike jaguars and leopards, do not exist in nature.

Thanks to its powerful hind limbs, the cougar has excellent jumping ability. The height of the jumps of the beast reaches 5.5 meters. In length, the cat jumps 12 meters. When running, it develops speed up to 70 km / h. But he never runs for long distances, preferring a swift and short throw. Superbly climbs rocks and trees, swims well. In a word, the beast is ideally adapted to life and hunting, both in mountainous regions and on open flat terrain.

Hunting

The cat hunts at night. The diet of the animal is the most diverse. Any living creature, regardless of size, falls into the fanged mouth. The mountain lion eats birds, insects, does not disdain fish. But the main diet is, of course, the meat of deer, elk, horses, wild sheep. Ungulates make up 95% of the diet of a predatory cat. The dimensions of the victim do not frighten her. Puma jumps on the back of an ungulate, breaks its neck or strangles it with powerful jaws. Prey is usually dragged to a secluded place. Part of it eats, and hides the remaining meat, covering it from above with leaves, branches or snow.

The beast returns to its reserves regularly. Usually a large elk or deer is enough for a cat for 10 days. The female, burdened with cubs, goes hunting every three days. Carrion or living creatures killed by another beast, the mountain lion does not eat. But with pleasure to hunt livestock. Moreover, it often cuts sheep and goats all in a row, although it can take only one victim with it. The predator does not disdain its fellows belonging to the cat family.

Cougars live in splendid isolation. Each male and female has its own territory. In the representatives of the stronger sex, it reaches 50 square meters. km, sometimes much more. Ladies aren't that big of a deal. Their possessions are usually limited to 20-25 sq. km. Borders are marked by urine and feces. On their lands, mountain lions hunt. They try not to wander into foreign territory in order to avoid conflicts. They pair up only for the duration of 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 future mother arranges a lair in a cave or some stone niche. Usually 2-3 cubs are born. Sometimes there is 1, and sometimes 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.

With a parent, young cougars live up to 2 years. Just by this time, their skins “lose” the spots and acquire a uniform shade. Males leave their mother earlier, females later. The strong sex goes as far as possible from the mother's territory and tries to create its own land. Often because of this, conflicts arise with other males. In this case, the young 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 closer to their parent.

A cat lives in the wild on average from 8 to 14 years. In captivity, the cougar lives up to 20 years. In the USA, there was a case when 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 on the part of the person. Equally important is the timely provision of medical care.

Enemies

In the enemies of the mountain lion go grizzlies and jaguars. True, it must be said right away that the clubfoot does not pose a big threat to a predatory cat. Rather, the cougar herself can feast on the cubs if the she-bear gapes. But the jaguar is a dangerous opponent. This powerful and strong beast is very ferocious and aggressive. He can easily kill a young cougar. Also, this predator is a serious competition for hunting.

Man at all times mercilessly shot the mountain lion, as he was 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, then today there are only 87 of them. In total, about 30 thousand cougars live in the western regions of the USA and Canada. In general, the abundance of the species is not of concern to humans. Those subspecies that are few in number are protected by law.

There are no 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 cougar - an animal graceful, strong and very beautiful.

Distribution and subspecies

In ancient times, the cougar's habitat was considered very extensive among all mammals in the United States of America. And even today, in terms of breadth of distribution, this graceful cat is comparable (from the cat family) only with a forest cat, a red lynx and a handsome leopard. Now in America and Canada, the cougar has survived mainly in the mountainous regions in the west of the country. In the east, the cougar was completely exterminated. The only exception is a very small population of the rare subspecies Puma concolor coryi, which lives in Florida.

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

Florida cougar

This is the rarest cougar. The animal, which numbered only 160 individuals in nature in 2011, lives in the swamps and forests of southern Florida. Its rapid disappearance is explained by the drainage of swamps, poisoning, and sport hunting.

The Florida cougar is relatively small. Coat color - reddish, dark. As a result of inbreeding, the cougar acquired a curved tail tip. Currently, American scientists are going to cross the Florida cougars 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 cougar is rather a mythical animal. Scientists say that black cougar and melanistic cougar do not exist in nature.

Previously, there were reports of the discovery of pum-melanists, leucists, and albinos. Black cougars have been reported from South and Central America. A black cougar killed in Costa Rica in 1959 turned out to be dark brown, not black.

It was reported that a black cougar was recorded in Kentucky, but later it turned out that this cat had a lighter belly. This means that the animal was dark brown in color.

In Idaho, in the fall of 2007, a cougar with a black muzzle, throat and chest was shot dead. Behind her ear, she had a black spot, which was recognized by scientists as the phenomenon of partial melanism. For official confirmation of this fact, a cougar with known parents, kept in captivity, is needed. Therefore, today data on the existence of black cougars have not yet been confirmed.

External features

Puma is an animal, the description of which can be found in all publications devoted to the life of predators. The habits of these beauties are interested not only in specialists, but also in ordinary animal lovers.

One of the largest feline predators that lives in the US today is the cougar. The animal is second in size only to the jaguar. This kitty has a body length of up to 180 cm, and the length of the tail is 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.

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

Paws are wide, ending in sharp retractable curved claws. The pads of the fingers are oval.

Coat and color

Puma (a photo of the animal can be seen in all guides about predators) has thick, short and coarse fur. Cougars are America's only solid-colored cats.

Adult animals have a grayish-brown or brownish-yellow coat. The underside of the body is much lighter than the top. The color of cougars is similar to the color of their main prey - deer. There are light tan marks on the throat, chest and belly, black spots on the muzzle. The ears are dark, the tail ends with a black speck. Cougars living in tropical areas are red, while northern individuals are gray in color.

The cubs have much thicker fur. She has dark stripes, spots on her hind and fore limbs, and rings on her tail.

Lifestyle

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

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

Puma (you can see a photo of the animal in our article) is an animal that prefers to live alone. Families are formed only during the marriage period. Population density depends on the availability of game.

The site of the female, on which she hunts, ranges from 26 to 350 square kilometers. The site of the male can occupy a vast territory up to 760 square kilometers. In its area, the cougar moves in accordance with the season. In winter, it can be in one area, and in summer - in another.

Hunting

The cougar goes out for prey at night. Its diet consists mainly of ungulates - deer, elk, bighorns. She will not give up on livestock either.

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

When hunting, the cougar uses the surprise factor - it sneaks up on large prey and jumps on the back of its victim from a fairly close distance, breaking its neck. 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 repository more than once.

The cougar is a very strong and hardy animal that is able to drag a carcass five to seven times its own weight over a long distance.

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

attacks on people

Unlike other predators, cougars rarely attack humans. They prefer to avoid meeting him. Since 1890, about 100 attacks per person have been officially recorded in the United States and Canada. Sixteen of them ended in death. The attacks took place at night or at dusk.

Other names for puma are cougar or mountain lion. This predator even got into the Guinness Book of Records as the animal with the most names. There are more than forty in English alone.

The body of these wild cats can reach two meters in length, and the height at the withers is usually about a meter. The weight of an adult cougar is 70-80 kg, and males are always heavier than females. The head of the cougar is small, rounded, the ears are erect.

The coat of the cougar is short and thick, and the color is most often reddish, with the upper body darker than the lower. There are black markings on the muzzle and ears.

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

hisses;
growls;
purrs almost like a domestic cat.

Massive hind legs allow you to run fast and deftly climb trees, and a long and strong tail helps you maintain balance while jumping. An interesting fact: the cougar has four fingers on its hind legs, and five on the front.

Previously, it was believed that there were more than 25 species of these wild cats, but now, based on modern genetic studies, six varieties of cougars have been identified, tied to their respective phylogeographic groups.

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

Puma is a dangerous hunter

Puma is a very dangerous and skilled hunter. This predator has excellent eyesight and can hunt even in the dark.

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

Mountain lions can jump up to 6 meters long and up to 3-4 meters high. In addition, the cougar is able to make 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.

Puma hunts most often on the following wild animals:

moose;
deer;
guanaco.

Do not disdain these predators and livestock. In the states of Wyoming, Colorado and Utah, a species of cougar lives, nicknamed Hippolestes, which means "horse destroyer".

In urgent need, they feed on lynxes, squirrels and raccoons. The cougar also loves to feast on an armadillo, managing to break its thick shell.

For a year, one cougar eats about 800-1300 kg of meat.

Cougars are very cunning animals, they hide half-eaten meat, covering it with snow or leaves. When hungry, they may return to previously hidden prey several times.

Mountain lions have virtually no enemies in the wild. The exception is a serious illness of the animal. In this case, the cougar may be threatened by jaguars, wolves or alligators.

As for humans, cougars avoid human encounters and very rarely attack tourists or locals.

Reproduction and care of offspring

Cougars are loners, they actively mark their territory, thereby making it clear to other brothers that this place is occupied. Depending on the density of the population, the size of the personal possessions of the cougar can reach up to one thousand square kilometers.

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

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

Pregnancy in cougars lasts three months. Usually wild cats give birth to 2 to 5 cubs in one litter, each kitten weighs about 300-400 g.

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

Like a domestic cat, puma babies are born "blind", after two weeks they open their eyes. At first, the eyes of kittens are bright blue, then gradually change.

Puma cubs start hunting small prey and eating adult food at the age of 6 weeks, but mother's milk is still included in their daily diet.

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

Then the mountain lion cubs go in search of their own hunting grounds, although at first they may stay in groups with brothers and sisters.

The life expectancy of cougars is about twenty years.

Puma as a pet

Recently, it has become fashionable to have wild animals as pets. This is not the right decision, which can turn into a disaster, especially for people who are far from knowledge about the wild world.

Before you get a puma at home, you need to know:

all the subtleties of keeping a wild animal in captivity;
be aware of their real financial and physical capabilities;
study information about the animal in advance;
obtain all permits;
consult with specialists (breeders).

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

Cougar natural habitats

Before appearing on the American continent, cougars lived in all forest and mountainous areas of the New World - from northwestern Canada to the Strait of Magellan and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific.

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 calm at altitude. Puma can also be found in coniferous and tropical forests. In the Chilean Cordillera, the cougar can rise to a height of up to 3000 meters.
Wild cats easily move on rocks and mountain slopes, climb trees well and can swim. The mountain lion can adapt to life in almost any terrain.

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 decreased sharply, and a very solid premium was even relied on for a killed individual.

Officially, puma hunting is prohibited. This is a necessary measure to restore the number of animals. However, violations of the law often occur and cougars continue to be exterminated because of the harm they cause to farming and cattle breeding. After a while, it turned out to return the number of cougars to almost the same level.

Remarkably, the destruction of these predatory animals turns against people. As a result of hunting for cougars, the natural balance is disturbed and the number of armadillos (cougars' favorite food) increases dramatically. Armadillos dig holes, cattle step into them and break their legs. As a result, pastoralists suffer huge losses.

The Florida subspecies of cougars, which are smaller and lighter in color, suffered the most. Initially, the Florida cougar lived from Texas to the southeastern states. Now its range is limited to South Florida.

The total population of the Florida cougar by the early 1980s was estimated at about 300 individuals. In 2003, this species was listed in the Red Book.

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. The average weight of females ranges from 30-50 kg, and males - 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 puma lives in 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. It also prefers living in coniferous and tropical forests, is 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. In the wild, a 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 survival and hunting skills 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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Niramin - Nov 12th, 2015

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

For a long time, the cougar was attributed to the cat family, but the animal is one of a kind. At first glance, the cougar looks like a cat in many ways, but many features distinguish it from representatives of this large family. This statement refers to a longer body and tail, reaching a total of 1.5 to 2.8 meters, strong powerful legs, a relatively small head and the absence of a pronounced pattern on the coat. The cougar's fur is very thick and short, painted in sandy colors. Only on the belly, the hair has a lighter 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 cougars 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 they also do not refuse wild peccary pigs, as well as squirrels and rabbits. Cougars prey on anything that moves, and willingly eat everything. The exception is foul-smelling skunks, which these predators do not eat precisely because of their unattractive smell. Cougars hide food in reserve if they cannot consume everything at once.

Like all cats, silent cougars emit heart-rending cries during the mating season. The female brings into the world 2 or 4 spotted cubs, the color of which changes by the year. Babies stay with their mother until they are 2 years old, after which they set off to conquer their own space. These American cats live up to 20 years.

Since cougars lead a solitary lifestyle, they avoid people. However, with a careless behavior of a person and his invasion of the territory of an animal, an attack by this predator is possible with all the ensuing consequences.

Due to the invasion of cougar habitats, certain species of these animals found themselves on the verge of extinction. An example is the population of the Florida cougar, which has reached a critical level at which natural recovery has become impossible.

We suggest you look at the gallery of photos of the American predator - puma:

Puma "thought".

The cougar carries its cub in its teeth.

Photo: Puma on a tree.