Cougars

Cougars

Range and Habitat:  Cougars are found in a wide variety of habitats across North America, Mexico, Central and South America.

Diet:  Carnivore

Life Span:  Up to 20 years

Status in the Wild:  Least Concern

Threats to Survival:  
Cougars are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, and poaching of their wild prey.

Interesting Facts

  • Cougars are known by many names such as puma, mountain lion,painter, panther, and catamount.  This beautiful cat is solitary and quite secretive.
  • The cougar is one of the most adaptive cat species.  It can be found in a wide variety of habitats, from the mountains to sea level, in grasslands and swamps, from North America to South America.
  • Cougars are the largest of the small cat species and the second largest cat in the western hemisphere behind the jaguar, which is a big cat species.  Cougars can hiss, growl and purr like domestic cats but can also make a loud vocalization that sounds like a human scream.
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