Among the representatives of the cat family, the puma is considered one of the most graceful and strong. The first written descriptions of cougars date back to the 16th century. In another way, they are also called cougars or mountain lions. In the Latin name Puma concolor, the second word means "one-color". The animal is named so because there is no pattern in the color. But the cougar does not look completely black, since her hair is white in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe mouth and chin, and her belly is lighter than the back and sides.

Habitat

The puma animal is distributed throughout America. In fact, the habitat of the cougar coincides with the habitat of its main food - deer. Previously, these animals were noticed from the southern territories of Patagonia to southeastern Alaska. Currently, mainly cougars are found in the western United States and Canada in mountainous areas. And in the east, they are completely exterminated - only in Florida, a very small population has survived.

Appearance

In common habitats with other mammals of the cat family, only the jaguar is larger than the cougar. The length of the cougar body itself is 1.2-1.7 meters, and together with the tail - about 2.5 meters. At the withers, an adult is 60-75 cm. The body weight of an adult animal is 75-100 kg. Males are much larger than females - by almost 30% in all respects.

  • The body of the cougar is elongated and flexible. On a not very large head - small ears with rounded tips. The legs are not very long, but powerful, and the hind legs are more developed than the front ones. The number of fingers on the hind legs is 4, on the front - 5.
  • The look of this cat is mesmerizing. Puma carefully looks at everything around with beautiful hazel eyes, outlined in black. The color of the iris can also be gray or green.
  • The cougar's fur is short and hard, with a thick undercoat. On the neck and chest, the black coat has a reddish tint, the ears and the tip of the tail are almost black. Sometimes there may be white marks on the neck, chest and belly. In general, the entire bottom of the body is much lighter than the top.

In representatives of different areas, different shades predominate in color - from red, brown-yellowish and sandy to grayish-brown. It depends on the climate - for example, in the north of America, silver overflows are characteristic of the color, and in the south and in the tropics - red tones.

Puma cubs have a different color - thick fur is strewn with very dark spots, there are stripes on the front and hind legs, and the tail is in “rings”.

The teeth of this predator are strong. With its fangs, the puma animal grabs its prey, and with its incisors it bites the bones and tears the flesh. The age of the animal can be determined by the teeth.

The puma animal moves quickly and dexterously; in a jump, it uses a muscular tail to balance.

Lifestyle and habits

Animal black cougar is a predatory wild mammal. Cougars live in solitude - one by one. Only during the mating season do they find a partner. Then loud cries are announced around the district, which indicate that a couple has formed, and soon there will be offspring.

The cougar marks the area chosen for living along the borders with urine, and leaves scratches on tree trunks. Cougars settle only in those places where good hunting is possible and there are enough shelters. These are forests and plains overgrown with tall grass.

The density of settlement is directly dependent on the "food" found in the area - an average of 80 square meters. km - 1-12 animals. Males cover a hunting area of ​​100-750 sq. km, females have smaller plots - 30-300 sq. km. Travel distance depends on the time of year. Animals spend winter and summer periods in different areas.

Cougars come out to hunt at dusk, knocking prey down with lightning speed in one jump. During the day they sleep in dens, bask in the sun and lick their fur like all cats.

These predators deftly climb the slopes of the mountains, climb the branches of trees and can swim well. The length of the puma jump is up to 6 m, and in height - more than 2 m. The speed of movement is 50 km / h. A cougar can drag prey in its teeth, the mass of which is 5-7 times greater than its own.

Nutrition

Basically, mountain lions prey on deer and elk. They can attack bighorn (type of sheep), caribou (small reindeer) or lynx. They also feed on small forest animals - these are squirrels, raccoons, muskrats, beavers. If a cougar lives near human habitation, then a pig or a dog may be its prey. They even eat mice, frogs, snails and insects.

Thanks to the developed speed, the cougar easily catches up with the ostrich, and the ability to jump allows it to catch monkeys. If the prey is larger than the cougar itself, then in a powerful jump the predator knocks it down, breaks its spine or gnaws its throat with its weight. But the fact is that the cougar can not eat all the killed animals and sometimes hunts for the sake of the process itself, and not for the purpose of obtaining food. On average, an adult eats about 1.3 tons of meat per year - this is about 50 ungulates. The cougar buries the half-eaten remains of carcasses in fallen branches and foliage or buries it in the snow. This animal remembers the place and often returns to finish eating. Being aware of this, the Indians took the opportunity - they waited for the mountain lion to go away from the hiding place on business, and took the meat.

reproduction

The mating period for cougars is short: a pair is formed for only 1-2 weeks. Only those females that have their own plot breed. For several females, there is one male - he visits nearby territories in turn.

Pregnancy lasts 82-96 days. 2-3 kittens are born, but it happens that 6. The body weight of a newborn is 250-450 g, body length is 25-30 cm. The eyes of the kittens are opened on the 10th day, at the same time they begin to hear and their teeth erupt . The color of the skins is spotted, on the tails there are dark rings. As they grow older - by about 9 months of age - the spots and rings disappear, and by 2 years the color becomes completely even.

At 1.5 months, the kittens' teeth have almost grown - they are able to eat themselves, but still continue to feed on mother's milk. At this time, the female has the most difficult period, since she has to get meat not only for herself, but also for babies. That is, the volume of production should be three times more.

Cougar cubs up to 1.5-2 years old live with their mother, and then leave to look for their own sites. At first they stay in a group, and when they reach maturity, they leave their brethren. Females become fertile at 2.5 years, males - by 3 years.

IN vivo Cougars live 15-18 years. In captivity - more than 20 years.

natural enemies

There are almost none of them, with the exception of large predators - wolves, alligators and jaguars, and then - if the puma is weakened by the disease, old or it is a young inexperienced individual.

Cases of cougar attacks on people are rare. The cougar will attack a person only if he runs or appears suddenly, that is, when the animal is perceived as an aggressor. This usually happens at dusk or at night - when the animal has hunting hours. Basically, cougars, on the contrary, avoid meeting a person.

Cougars have strong nerves and great patience - once caught in a trap, they do not fight, like tigers, for example, but patiently free themselves from their fetters, and they can do this for several days.

Puma is a pet: is it possible and is it worth keeping them at home? The experience of the Berberov family in the 80s of the last century was so unsuccessful that the story ended in tragedy. But lovers of the exotic and followers of the fashion for keeping unusual wild animals, provided that it is possible to ensure the safety of the household, today they can afford to keep the cougar animal in captivity.

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Other names for puma 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 over forty of them.

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. Interesting fact: the cougar has four toes on its hind legs, and five on its front paws.

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 predators from the cat family, and after a few failed attempts free 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 true 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. Exception - serious illness 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 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

IN Lately 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 details of the content wild beast captive;
  • 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 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 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 feel at ease. 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.

This cat is common in both hemispheres. It lives on the lands of many Indian tribes and has a lot of local names.

Systematics

Russian name- puma (mountain lion, cougar)

English title– Cougar

Latin name– Puma concolor

Detachment- predatory ( Carnivora)

Family- cat (Felidae)

Genus- cougar (Puma)

The old classification, based on morphological characteristics and maintained until 1999, identified about 24-30 subspecies of the cougar.

According to the modern classification based on genetic research, distinguish 6 subspecies tied to geographical areas:

Puma concolor couguar - North America (from southern Canada to Guatemala and Belize);

Puma concolor costaricensis- Central America(Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama);

Puma concolor capricornensis - East End South America(from the southern coast of the Amazon in Brazil to Paraguay);

Puma concolor concolor - northern South America (Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Guyana, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia);

Puma concolor cabrerae - central South America (northeast Argentina, Uruguay);

puma concolor puma- South part South America (Chile, southwest Argentina).

The rarest cougar subspecies is the Florida cougar (Puma concolor coryi). Its number in nature in 2011 was a little over 160 individuals. It lives in the forests and swamps of southern Florida (USA). This cat is distinguished by its relatively small size and high paws. Her coat color is dark, reddish. As a result of closely related crossing, individuals of this subspecies acquired a curved tip of the tail.

Another East American subspecies, wisconsin cougar(Puma concolor shorgeri), extinct by 1925

Currently, both the Florida cougar and the Wisconsin couguar are not distinguished into separate subspecies, they are classified as the subspecies Puma concolor couguar.

The subspecies of the cougar kept in the zoo has not been determined.

The status of the species in nature

The cougar is included in the International Red Book as a species whose existence causes the least concern - CITES II, IUCN (LC).

View and person

In 1553, one of the first descriptions of it is given in the book "Chronicle of Peru" by Cies de Leon. The word "puma" comes from the Quechua language, the most common language of the American Indians.

People have long admired the grace and strength of this cat. In South America in compound name a person often heard the name of a powerful cat. The image of a cougar is often found on pottery. The Incas associated this animal with the god of the sky and thunder. In North America, for example among the Apaches, the cries of the cougar were a harbinger of death. Other Indian tribes identified this beast with an evil spirit from the underworld. At the same time, in the Cherokee tribe, he was a sacred animal and was inviolable.

A cougar usually avoids a human, attacks are rare and occur in summer or autumn, when young cougars leave their mothers and develop new territory. Between 1890 and 1990 in North America, 53 cougar attacks on humans were recorded, 40 of them ended in injuries, and in 10 cases people died.

Puma can attack livestock: calves, sheep, goats, more often this happens when young animals learn to hunt. It is clear that this behavior caused discontent among the farmers, and their persecution significantly reduced the number of the beast in North America.

Distribution and habitats

Puma is an American cat. Historically, the range of the cougar was the most extensive among all land mammals America. The area of ​​distribution of this species extended from the south of Patagonia to the southeast of Alaska. Currently in the territory North America the cougar survived mainly in the mountains of the western regions. In South America, the puma is distributed almost everywhere.

These predators perfectly adapt to a variety of conditions: they live in mountain coniferous forests, and in tropical forests and grassy plains. Cougars can be found in the mountains at altitudes up to 4700 m above sea level. Their distribution is limited only by food and shelter. In addition, South American cougars avoid floodplains where jaguars are found.

For a successful hunt, the puma needs shelters behind which it hides, sneaking up on the victim, therefore, even in open biotopes, the predator chooses areas where there are stones or bushes.

Appearance and morphology

A large cat of almost uniform color, hence the Latin name of the species: conkolor - one-color. The color of adults varies from grayish brown to brownish yellow. The coat on the belly is somewhat lighter than on the back and sides. Only the ears, the tip of the tail and the muzzle are dark. In tropical regions, cougars are smaller and redder, northern animals are lighter in color. It is known about the existence of light and even white cougars, as well as dark brown and black individuals, found mainly in Latin America. Albino and melanistic cougars are unknown in nature.

The cubs are not uniform in color - there are dark spots on the body, stripes on the paws, and rings on the tail. The drawing disappears only at the age of one.

Males are 30% larger than females, reaching a length of 100-180 cm with a tail length of 60-70 cm, a height at the withers of 61-76 cm and a weight of up to 105 kg. Usually males of large subspecies weigh 70-80 kg. The body of the cougar, like all cats, is flexible and elongated, the head is small, the paws are low. The tail is long and muscular, the paws are wide, with sharp retractable claws.

Despite its large size, the cougar belongs to the group of small cats, unlike the lion, jaguar, leopard, snow leopard and tiger- big cats. Small cats are unable to roar or growl, due to the complete hardening of the hyoid bone, which in large cats consists of several small bones.















Lifestyle and social behavior

The cougar can be equally active both during the day and at night. Hunger determines the change in activity. Most often, the favorite time for hunting is twilight, when the silent animal becomes completely invisible. Puma is perfectly adapted to life on rough terrain. She easily moves along the mountain slopes, climbs trees and rocks perfectly and, if necessary, swims well.
Like all representatives of the cat family (with the exception of lions), adult cougars live alone, male and female meet only for breeding. The size of the cougar's hunting area depends on the density of potential prey and in North America ranges from 32 to 1031 sq. km. The size of the male's territory is larger than that of the females, and the owner jealously protects him from other males. The territory of the male usually partially overlaps with the hunting grounds of several females. Animals avoid each other in areas of overlapping areas, and this is achieved by marking. Cougars mark certain places with urine, droppings or scrapes - patches of land or trees where animals scratch with their claws, leaving visual marks.

Feeding and feeding behavior

Puma is a predator that feeds exclusively on animal food. The object of hunting can be a wide variety of animals: from mice, squirrels, possums, rabbits to coyotes, lynxes and other cougars. She also eats birds, fish and even snails and insects. The cougar will not refuse prairie dog, groundhog or monkey. However, the main place in the diet of the cougar is occupied by ungulates: black-tailed, white-tailed and pampas deer, wapiti, elk, caribou and bighorns. In North America, the proportion of ungulates in the diet of this predator is 60% or more. In the mountains of South America, cougars successfully hunt humpless camels. On occasion, they attack livestock, cats, dogs, birds.
It is estimated that a large male cougar kills a deer every 9–12 days, eating up to 8 kg of meat at once, and hides the rest. While the prey is not eaten entirely, the beast keeps nearby, resting near its hiding place. Other predators, as well as scavengers, try to eat the remnants of food, and often the cougar has to go hunting again the next day. A predator usually hunts with the onset of twilight, so it is easier to sneak up on the intended victim, but if it is very hungry, it can try its luck during the day.

Vocalization

Due to the special structure of the larynx, cougars cannot roar and growl loudly, they are rather silent animals. Loud cries, a bit like a human cry, are emitted only by females during the mating season. Communicating with kittens, they "talk" much quieter. In addition, cougars can purr like domestic cats.

Reproduction and rearing of offspring

Cougars reach sexual maturity at 2 years of age, but young animals usually do not start breeding until they find a permanent hunting ground.
Cougars are capable of breeding at any time of the year, but the peak of cub births usually occurs in January and August. Since the vast hunting area of ​​an adult male overlaps with the areas of several females at once, he can enter into breeding with different females during the year. Mating, like other cats, is accompanied by bloody fights and wild cries of males.
Preparing to become a mother, the female arranges a den in the crevices of rocks, between the roots of trees, or simply in a secluded place among the thickets of grass.
Pregnancy lasts 92 days, after which from 1 to 4 blind kittens are born (usually two or three), weighing up to 500 g. Their coat is spotted, blackish-brown. This coloration serves as camouflage, hiding from predators (including adult male cougars). From 12–14 weeks, the spots become paler, but finally disappear only by one and a half years.
Literally in the very first minutes after birth, the cubs begin to eagerly suck milk and rapidly gain weight in the first weeks. At the age of two weeks, the cubs open their eyes and ears, and they crawl actively, examining the den and its immediate surroundings with curiosity. At the same time, their first teeth erupt.
The female periodically goes hunting and leaves the cubs alone for a while. At first, she tries to stay close to the den, but when the children grow up, she begins to examine her entire area.
After 8–9 weeks, the cougar stops carrying meat to the den and begins to take the children with them to hunt. At the age of 2-3 months, the kittens stop feeding on milk, but for a few more months they remain with their mother, who guards them and teaches them to hunt. In the end, the mother leaves, which is most often associated with the start of a new reproductive season. Grown up young cougars stay together for a while before dispersing in search of their own hunting grounds.
To find a suitable place for hunting that is not occupied by another cougar, sometimes they are sometimes forced to walk more than one hundred kilometers. Young females have a somewhat easier time, they can arrange a home for themselves and not far from their mother. But young males, until they decide, are at especially high risk, entering into conflicts with both adult cougars and humans. Most often, pets (and humans) are attacked by such young animals at the age of 1–2 years. Adult cougars, trying to protect their site, not only drive away the young, but also kill them.

Lifespan

In nature, the life expectancy of cougars is 10–12 years for males, slightly longer for females. In regions where cougar hunting is allowed, it is the person who most often becomes the cause of the death of adult animals. In addition, cougars fall under the wheels of transport, die in skirmishes with each other, from wounds received during hunting, less often from diseases. Few people die of old age.
In zoos, cougars live up to 20 years.

Keeping animals in the Moscow Zoo

During the existence of the zoo, cougars were kept here several times. These cats live well in captivity and bring offspring.
Currently, a young large male cougar, who arrived from the Veliky Ustyug Zoo, lives in the "Cat's Row". He walks around the aviary not only in the evening, like most cats, but is often active during the day. His daily diet includes 1.5 kg of beef, some bovine heart and 4-5 rats, which he eats with great appetite. The animal greets familiar people with a uterine sound, vaguely resembling a purr. We hope that our handsome man will soon have a girlfriend, and they will make us happy with the birth of small spotted kittens.

In the cat family puma considered one of the representatives of the most graceful, strong, beautiful animals, first described in the middle of the 16th century. Another name for this big cat is, or mountain.

Features and habitat

large mammal, inferior in size in the habitat only to the rival, reaches a length of about 120-170 cm, and with a tail - up to 2.5 m. The body height of an adult cougar cat is from 60 to 75 cm, weight is 75-100 kg. Males are larger than females by an average of 30%.

Reddish fur on the neck and chest of a light shade, on the head of a grayish color, and on the ears and tail tassel - thick dark tones, almost black in color. Generally, Bottom part body much lighter than upper.

Predators living in North America are distinguished by silvery tints, and representatives of the southern pampas and tropics are closer to red tones. These are the only American cats with a solid coat color. Animal fur is short, coarse and dense.

At animal cougar strong teeth, which determine the age of the predator. Fangs are used to capture prey, and incisors easily tear tissue and break bones. A strong muscular tail helps the American cat to balance when moving and during jumping while hunting.

The flexible elongated body is distinguished by special grace. The head is small, the ears are small, rounded. Paws are low, wide. The hind legs are stronger and more massive than the front. The number of fingers on the paws is different: on the back - four, and the front - five.

Habitat Cougar cougars are different landscapes: like flat places with tropical forests, pampas, swampy lowlands, and mountain coniferous massifs in the territory of South and North America to the middle part of Canada. Silver lions avoid northern latitudes.

The habitat of animals is extensive, but at the beginning of the last century, cougars in the United States were almost exterminated. rare puma animal even began to tame. Years later, it was possible to restore a population comparable in number and distribution to,. It is noticed that puma dwells mainly where the main objects of her hunting live -. Even their coat color is similar.

puma species

According to the old classification, up to 30 subspecies of the cougar were distinguished. Now, based on genetic data, 6 main varieties of cougars are calculated. A rare subspecies is the Florida cougar, named after a habitat in southern Florida.

During the crisis period, there were only 20 individuals. The reasons for extinction were the drainage of swamps, among which rare animals were found, and the hunt for predators. Florida cougars are distinguished by their small size and higher paws than other relatives.

In the photo puma

interest in rare black cougars based mainly on unsubstantiated reports and speculation. In reality, instead of black cougars, individuals of a dark brown color were found, which only seemed coal from a distance. Therefore, there is no actual evidence of the existence of black American cats yet.

Character and lifestyle

Cougars are wild animals leading a quiet life alone. Only mating time awakens in them a desire for each other, and loud cat cries testify to education. couples.

Cougars choose certain areas of residence for themselves, the boundaries of which are marked along the perimeter with scratches on trees and urine. Natural areas should be filled with hunting objects and places for shelters. Woodlands and grassy plains are favorite areas.

The population density of predators depends on the availability of food and can range from 1 to 12 individuals per 80 km². The areas of the hunting grounds of males are vast territories from 100 to 750 km².

The areas of female cougars are much smaller, from 30 to 300 km². Movements of animals in their territories are associated with seasonal features. Puma spends winter and summer in different places.

During the day, animals bask somewhere in the sun or rest in a secluded den. At dusk and at night, activity increases. It's time to hunt for prey. Animals have adapted to moving along the mountain slopes, climb trees perfectly, and swim.

Powerful jumps 5-6 m long, more than 2 m high and fast running up to 50 km/h leave no chance for the victim. The strength and endurance of cougars allow them to cope with carrying carcasses, the weight of which is 5-7 times their own.

In nature, the cougar has practically no enemies. Cope with a cougar can only be the most large predators subject to the weakening of the cougar due to illness or inexperience of the young. flocks, jaguars, large ones occasionally attack a cougar and her kittens if they feel superior.

Cougars practically do not attack people, except when a person is perceived as an aggressor: he moves quickly, suddenly appears, especially during twilight or night hunting. In other cases, animals avoid meeting people.

Puma is a patient animal. Unlike the madman in a trap, the cougar will calmly get rid of the shackles, even if it takes several days.

Puma food

The objects of hunting of cougars are mainly various types of deer, as well as other ungulates: caribou, bighorns. puma eating many small animals:, lynxes.

Predators do not distinguish between livestock and wild, so they can become victims,. Does not disdain, insects.

Puma is able to catch up with an ostrich, to catch a dexterous one on a tree. On large animal the cougar attacks unexpectedly in a powerful jump, breaks its neck with its mass or gnaws its throat with its teeth.

Pictured is a cougar with a cub

Killed animals are always much more than the ability of the cougar to eat this prey. The average consumption of meat per year is up to 1300 kg, which is approximately 45-50 ungulates.

After hunting, cougars hide the remaining carcasses under leaves, branches, or cover them with snow. Later they return to the caches. The Indians, knowing this, took the remaining meat from the cougar while they moved on.

Reproduction and lifespan

mating season cougar passes for a short time. Pairs form for 2 weeks, then disperse. Only predators with their own plots can breed. Males mate with several females in nearby territories.

Pictured is a cougar cub

Pregnancy lasts up to 95 days. From 2 to 6 blind kittens are born. After 10 days, eyes, ears open and teeth appear. The color of the babies is spotted, there are dark rings on the tail, which disappear as they grow.

Description of the cougar as mothers based on observations in zoos. The female does not let anyone near the newborn kittens and does not let them look. Only a month later, the cougar will take the kids for the first walk. Solid food is included in the diet of kittens from 1.5 months.

Mother care for offspring lasts up to about 2 years. Then adult life begins with the search for its territory. For some time, young individuals stay in a group, and then part.

Puberty females occurs at 2.5 years, and males at 3 years. Average duration cougar's life natural conditions is up to 15-18 years, and in captivity for more than 20 years.

cougar guard

Due to the ability of the cougar to live in various landscapes, populations are maintained in numerous settlements. Only Florida puma enabled to the Red marked as critical.

Hunting for cougars in most states is partially limited or prohibited, but animals are exterminated because of the damage caused to pastoral or hunting farms.

There are currently attempts to contain puma as a pet. But great security risks remain, as it is a freedom-loving and intolerant predator. The beautiful and strong mountain lion remains one of the most powerful and graceful animals on the planet.

Power and elegance, composure and phenomenal jumping ability - all this is a cougar, one of the most impressive cats on the planet (4th place after a lion, a jaguar and a tiger). In America, larger than the cougar, also called the cougar or mountain lion, only the jaguar.

Description of the cougar

Puma concolor - this is the name of the species in Latin, where the second part is translated as "one-color", and this statement is true if we regard the color in terms of the absence of a pattern. On the other hand, the animal does not look entirely monochrome: the upper part contrasts with the light belly, and the white zone of the chin and mouth clearly stand out on the muzzle.

Appearance

An adult male is larger than the female by about a third and weighs 60–80 kg with a length of 1–1.8 meters.. Individual specimens gain 100–105 kg. The height of the cougar is 0.6–0.9 m, and the muscular, evenly pubescent tail is 0.6–0.75 m. The cougar has an elongated and flexible body, crowned with a proportional head with rounded ears. The cougar has a very attentive look and beautiful eyes outlined in black. The color of the iris varies from hazel and light gray to green.

The hind feet are broad (with 4 fingers) more massive than the front, with 5 fingers each. The fingers are armed with curved and sharp claws that retract like all cats. Retractable claws are needed to capture and hold the victim, as well as for climbing trunks. The coat of the mountain lion is short, coarse, but thick, reminiscent of the coloring of its main prey - deer. In adults, the underside of the body is much lighter than the top.

This is interesting! The predominant shades are red, gray-brown, sandy and tan. White markings are visible on the neck, chest and belly.

The cubs are colored differently: their dense fur is dotted with dark, almost black spots, there are stripes on the fore and hind limbs, and rings on the tail. The climate also affects the coloring of cougars. Those who live in tropical regions have a reddish tinge, while those in northern regions tend to show gray tones more often.

Puma subspecies

Until 1999, biologists worked with the old classification of cougars based on their morphological features and distinguishing almost 30 subspecies. Modern classification(based on genetic research) simplified the calculation, reducing the entire variety of cougars to only 6 subspecies included in the same number of phylogeographic groups.

Simply put, predators differ both in their genomes and in binding to a specific territory:

  • Puma concolor costaricensis - Central America;
  • Puma concolor couguar - North America;
  • Puma concolor cabrerae - the central part of South America;
  • Puma concolor capricornensis - eastern South America;
  • Puma concolor puma - southern part of South America;
  • Puma concolor concolor - northern part of South America.

This is interesting! The rarest subspecies is Puma concolor coryi, a Florida cougar that lives in the forests / swamps of South Florida.

The highest concentration was recorded in the Big Cypress National Preserve (USA). In 2011, a little more than 160 individuals lived here, which is why the subspecies was listed in the IUCN Red List with the status of "critically endangered" (in critical condition). The disappearance of the Florida cougar, according to biologists, is to blame for the man who drained the swamps and hunted her because of sporting interest. Inbreeding also contributed to extinction, when closely related animals mated (due to a small population).

Lifestyle, character

Cougars are principled loners who converge only during the mating season and then for no more than a week. Females with kittens also keep together. Adult males are not friendly: this is characteristic only of young cougars, recently torn off from their mother's hem. The density of the population is affected by the presence of game: a single cougar can host on 85 km², and more than a dozen predators on half the area.

As a rule, the hunting plot of the female occupies from 26 to 350 km², adjacent to the site of the male. The sector where the male hunts is larger (140–760 km²) and never intersects with the rival's territory. The marking of the lines is done with the help of urine / feces and scratches on the trees. Puma changes location within the site depending on the time of year. Mountain lions are perfectly adapted to life on rough terrain: they are excellent jumpers (the best of all cats) both in length and in height.

Puma records:

  • long jump - 7.5 m;
  • high jump - 4.5 m;
  • jump from a height of 18 m (as from the roof of a five-story building).

This is interesting! Cougar accelerates to 50 km / h, but quickly runs out of steam, but easily overcomes mountain slopes, climbs rocks and trees great. Cougars running from dogs in the southwestern deserts of the United States have even climbed giant cacti. The beast also swims well, but special interest does not show for this sport.

Puma hunts at dusk, preferring to knock down the victim with one powerful jump, and during the day the predator sleeps in the den, basks in the sun or licks itself like all cats. For a long time there were stories about the chilling howl emitted by the cougar, but everything turned out to be fiction. The loudest screams occur during the rutting period, and the rest of the time the beast is limited to growling, rumbling, hissing, snorting and the usual cat "meow".

Lifespan

In the wild, the cougar lives up to 18-20 years, if it does not fall on the front sight of a hunting rifle or into the paws of a larger animal.

Range, habitats

This is the only wild cat in America, occupying the longest area of ​​​​the continent.. A few centuries earlier, the cougar could be found on a vast territory from the south of Patagonia (Argentina) to Canada and Alaska. Nowadays, the range has narrowed noticeably, and now cougars (if we talk about the USA and Canada) are found only in Florida, as well as in less populated western regions. True, the zone of their vital interests is still South America as a whole.

Zoologists have noticed that the cougar's range practically repeats the distribution range of wild deer, its main commercial object. It is no coincidence that the predator is called a mountain lion - he likes to settle in alpine forests (up to 4700 m above sea level), but does not avoid plains either. The main thing is that deer and other fodder game are found in abundance in the chosen area.

Cougars live in different landscapes such as:

  • rainforests;
  • coniferous forests;
  • pampas;
  • grassy plains;
  • swampy lowlands.

True, the small-sized cougars of South America are afraid to appear on the swampy lowlands where jaguars hunt.

Puma food

The beast goes hunting when it gets dark and usually lays in ambush in order to jump sharply on gaping living creatures. An open confrontation with a bull or an elk is given to the cougar with difficulty, so she uses the surprise factor, fixing it with an accurate jump on the back of the victim. Once on top, the cougar, due to its weight, twists its neck or (like other cats) bites its teeth into the throat and strangles. The diet of the cougar consists mainly of ungulate mammals, but sometimes it diversifies it with rodents and other animals. The cougar has also been seen in cannibalism.

The mountain lion menu looks something like this:

  • deer (white-tailed, black-tailed, pampas, caribou and wapiti);
  • moose, bulls and bighorn sheep;
  • porcupines, sloths and opossums;
  • rabbits, squirrels and mice;
  • beavers, muskrats and agoutis;
  • skunks, armadillos and raccoons;
  • monkeys, bobcats and coyotes.

Puma does not refuse birds, fish, insects and snails. At the same time, she is not afraid to attack baribals, alligators and adult grizzlies. Unlike leopards and tigers, for the cougar there is no difference between domestic and wild animals: at every opportunity, he cuts livestock / birds, without sparing cats and dogs.

This is interesting! For a year, one cougar eats from 860 to 1300 kg of meat, which is equal to the total weight of about fifty ungulates. She often and far drags the half-eaten carcass to hide (covered with brushwood, foliage or snow) and return to it later.

The cougar has a bad habit of killing game with a margin, that is, in a volume that far exceeds its needs. The Indians, who knew about this, watched the movements of the predator and took away the carcasses buried by him, often completely intact.

Reproduction and offspring

It is believed that mountain lions do not have a fixed breeding season, and only for cougars living in northern latitudes, there are certain limits - this is the period from December to March. Females are set to mate for about 9 days. About what cougars are in active search partner, the heart-rending cries of males and their fights testify. The male copulates with all females in oestrus who wander into his territory.

The cougar bears offspring from 82 to 96 days, giving birth to up to 6 kittens, each of which weighs 0.2–0.4 kg and is 0.3 m long. After a couple of weeks, newborns begin to see clearly and look at the world blue eyes. Six months later, the heavenly color of the iris changes to amber or gray. By the age of one and a half months, the kittens, whose teeth have already erupted, switch to an adult diet, but do not refuse mother's milk. The most difficult task is facing the mother, who is forced to carry meat for her grown cubs (three times more than for herself).

By 9 months of age, dark spots begin to disappear on the coat of kittens, disappearing completely by 2 years.. Cubs do not leave their mother until about 1.5–2 years old, and then disperse in search of their territories. Leaving their mother, young cougars stay in small groups for some time and finally disperse, entering the time of puberty. In females, fertility occurs at 2.5 years, in males - six months later.