Puma Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Cougar

Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	lo chupa
Genus:	Puma
Species:	P. concolor

Cougar range

The cougar (Puma concolor) is a large wild cat found in the Americas. It is also known by many other names like puma, mountain lion, panther, or catamount. This amazing animal lives from the cold Yukon in Canada all the way to the southern Andes mountains in South America. This means it has the widest range of any large wild land mammal in the Western Hemisphere.

Cougars are very good at adapting to different places. You can find them in almost every type of habitat in the Americas. It is the biggest cat in North America. It is also the second-heaviest cat in the New World, right after the jaguar. Cougars are often shy and like to be alone. They usually hunt at night or during dawn and dusk. However, you might sometimes see them during the day. Even though they are big, cougars are more closely related to smaller cats, like your domestic cat.

What Does a Cougar Look Like?
How Do Cougars Behave?
What Do Cougars Eat?
Where Do Cougars Live?
Cougar Reproduction and Life Cycle
Images for kids
See also

What Does a Cougar Look Like?

Puma hiding behind rocks

Pumas are mostly tan in color. They can be very long, up to 9 feet from nose to tail. But most cougars are about 6 to 8 feet long. They can weigh anywhere from 64 pounds (29 kilograms) to 200 pounds (90 kilograms). Male cougars are usually bigger and heavier than females.

A cougar's head is round, and its ears stand straight up. They have strong front legs, a powerful neck, and a strong jaw. These features help them grab and hold onto large animals they hunt. Each front paw has five claws that can be pulled back, including one called a dewclaw. Their back paws have four claws. Their bigger front paws and claws are perfect for holding prey. Cougars are also very good at climbing trees. This helps them escape from other animals like dogs or wolves. While they don't love water, they can swim if they need to.

The cougar is generally bigger than all other cat species except for the lion, tiger, and jaguar. Even though it's large, it's not called a "big cat" like lions or tigers. This is because cougars cannot roar. Instead, cougars make different sounds. They can make low hisses, growls, and purrs. They also make chirps and whistles, which are similar to sounds domestic cats make. Cougars are also well known for their loud screams.

How Do Cougars Behave?

Puma at the Memphis zoo

Like most cats, cougars are usually solitary animals. This means they like to be alone. The only time you'll see them in groups is when a mother is with her young kittens. Adult cougars rarely meet each other. Even though they are mostly loners, cougars might share their food with other cougars. They seem to live in small groups defined by the areas where dominant males live. Cats within these areas tend to interact more often with each other than with outsiders.

When two male cougars meet, they might hiss and spit at each other. If neither one backs down, they can get into a violent fight.

What Do Cougars Eat?

Puma - Texas Park

Pumas are carnivores, which means they only eat meat. They hunt many different animals. Their favorite foods include deer, raccoons, squirrels, foxes, rabbits, and skunks. They also eat beavers, coyotes, birds, and porcupines. Sometimes, they even hunt very small animals like insects and rodents. Cougars can see much better at night, so they usually hunt when it's dark. They also have very good hearing.

The cougar is an ambush predator. This means they stalk their prey. They walk slowly and quietly, hiding as they get closer. Then, when they are near enough, they jump or run very fast to catch the animal. Cougars live and hunt alone. These cats prefer to live in places with thick bushes and rocky areas. These spots are good for hiding and stalking prey. However, they can also live in open areas.

Where Do Cougars Live?

Puma - Belize Zoo

Cougars usually live in mountains and forests, far away from people. However, sometimes they do come into contact with humans. Cougars have been known to attack people. In the last 30 years, 26 people have been killed by cougars in North America. Cougars used to live all over eastern North America. But they were hunted so much that they disappeared from those areas by the early 1900s.

Recently, some cougars have been seen in places like Michigan, New Brunswick, southern Indiana, Kentucky, and Vermont. For now, the only confirmed group of cougars living east of the Mississippi River is in Florida. This group is a special type of cougar called the Florida Panther. As more human towns and buildings grow in California, cougar groups in North America are becoming more separated from each other.

Here are some good safety tips if you are in an area where pumas might live:

Saguaro National Park1

Never hike alone. Pumas are more likely to attack people who are by themselves than those in a group.
If you see a puma, do not run. Running might make them chase you because of their natural hunting instinct. Instead, stand still and face the animal. Look it directly in the eyes. Try to look as big as you can by standing tall and raising your arms.
Do not turn your back on the puma. Do not crouch down or do anything that makes you seem like an animal. If a puma attacks you or someone in your group, fight back! The best place to hit a puma is on its nose.
Always look around you when you are in an area where pumas might be. Like other cats, they like to jump out from a hiding spot and attack their prey from behind.
Do not go hiking with your pet in areas where pumas live. Any animal, even a dog, can make a puma want to chase and kill it. This is because pumas have a "chase reflex."

Cougar Reproduction and Life Cycle

Puma Sleeping

Female cougars usually have one group of babies, called a litter, every two to three years. Sometimes, they can have a litter as often as once a year. The time a mother cougar carries her babies, called the gestation period, is about 91 days. Only the mother cougar takes care of the young. A litter can have between one and six cubs, but usually, there are two. Mothers use caves or other hidden spots as dens to protect their babies.

When cubs are born, they cannot see. They depend completely on their mother at first. They start to stop drinking their mother's milk at about three months old. As they grow, they begin to go on trips with their mother. First, they visit the places where she has made a kill. After six months, they start to hunt small animals on their own. On average, just over one cub per litter survives. Newborn cougars have spots that fade away and disappear by the time they are about 2 and a half years old. Young cougars stay with their mothers for at least two years. Young adults leave their mother to find their own areas to live in when they are about two years old, or sometimes even earlier. Male cougars tend to leave sooner than females.

In the wild, cougars usually live for about eight to 13 years. In zoos or other places where they are cared for, cougars can live much longer, sometimes up to 20 years. A male North American cougar named "Scratch" was almost 30 years old when he died in 2007. In the wild, cougars can die from being sick or injured. They can also die from fighting with other cougars, not finding enough food, or accidents. In some places, humans also hunt them.