Cougars, they are mountain lions, are amazing in their structure and way of life of the creature. Places where the cougar lives are scattered over a huge area, and about the wildest cat there are a lot of unusual facts.
Material Content:
On which continents, in which countries does the cougar live
Cougars are unpretentious in choosing a place of residence: they can travel through fields or trees, hide in the mountains or even in swamps. Both cool coniferous and hot tropical forests are not alien to them. In addition, their main food - deer - is also very common. All this became the reason that before the area of the puma was huge.
Unfortunately, the extermination of these cats has led to the fact that now they live only in North and South America, and only 1/3 of the area is occupied in North cougars. This includes countries such as the USA, Canada (only the southwest), Mexico, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, etc. The total area is about 26 million km2, which is a lot, but still less than the historical range.
Description, size and life span
Cougars (they are also called cougars) are typical representatives of the cat family with all the characteristic features.
- Long and sharp claws that can be pulled in.,
- Flexible long body.
- Soft paws with pads, with the heel divided into 3 parts.
- Strong teeth, among which 4 fangs (2 on each jaw) stand out to kill prey.
Distinctive features:
- A powerful tail that helps not only in hunting, but also just when moving through trees.
- The muscles of the hind limbs are better developed than the forelimbs.
- Small spherical head, rounded ears.
- The coat is short, stiff, each hair set close to the other.The cubs are even thicker.
- The mass of the animal reaches 100 kg in males and 80 kg in females. Growth - up to 0.9 m, length - up to 1.8 m with tail.
The color of the pumas is less prominent than that of most cats. Their fur is always in the same color. It can be red, yellowish, brown or with a silver tint. The latter are also called silver lions. Such cougars live mainly in North America. Nevertheless, the color cannot be called completely monophonic. In the lower part of the body, the hair is lighter, and blackouts are almost always present on the head in the area of the muzzle and ears.
In the natural environment, cougars live up to 18 years, and under the supervision of a person - up to 20 years or more.
Predator lifestyle
Cougars prefer a solitary lifestyle. In groups, they are kept only at a very young age and at the transitional stage from a kitten to an adult. In order to prevent other predators from entering their territory, animals mark trees at the borders using claws and urine.
The animal is prone to seasonal migrations over relatively short distances. This is due both to the search for a partner during the mating season, and to the search for food in the winter. During movements, individuals can overcome almost any natural obstacles. They swim perfectly and climb the rocks.
In the daytime, cougars are passive and lazy, prefer to spend time in shelters, in drowsiness, but closer to night their activity increases sharply. The dark time of the day is most favorable for hunting.
Nutrition in the natural habitat
Pum's favorite food is large ungulates, such as deer and moose. Low-key color allows you to sneak up on close range, from where you can make a sharp jump in prey. If the maneuver fails, the cougar pursues at a speed not inferior to a deer - more than 60 km / h.
In the absence of large game, food are various forest and field rodents, amphibians, even large beetles. In some cases, the cougar can attack a lynx. Attacks on livestock are known.
Breeding and rearing offspring
The breeding season for this species lasts all winter and the beginning of spring, but only those individuals that have their own territory are mated. Couples do not form for a long time, as, for example, in wolves. The male and female spend together about 14 days, after which the male can go in search of a new partner.
The pregnant female, meanwhile, bears kittens (2.5-3 months). Up to 6 babies are born who are completely dependent on their mother for the first 10 days. Only then do their eyes open and milk teeth cut out. Interestingly, the color of newborns is much darker than in adults.
Mother Puma is very jealous of her offspring, protecting him from prying eyes. A month after giving birth, she first lets the kittens go for a walk, and after another half a month brings them the first meat food. The female takes care of cubs up to 2 years old, and then they separate and go in search of their own territory.
Interesting facts about the cougar
During the existence of the species, they managed to study it well and learn about it a few fascinating facts.
- At the end of the 20th century, zoologists numbered 28 subspecies of cougars, but at present some of them have been combined and have received a more modest number - 6 subspecies. Of these, the rarest is Florida. Now their number reaches 150, which can not be considered a great result. The subspecies is protected and lives in the reserve, and scientists are developing crossbreeding plans, but Florida cougars still remain on the verge of extinction.
- In 1925, the last member of the Wisconsin cougar died.
- The name of these cats was given by the indigenous peoples of America, and only then it was used in his description of South America by the Spanish historian and geographer Pedro Siesa de Leone.
- Cougar age can be determined by the condition of the teeth. The older the cat, the darker and smaller they become. In six-month-old kittens, milk teeth are replaced by molars.
- By their nature, cougars are very calm and patient.During observations of animals trapped, there was no panic or increased aggression; they slowly and purposefully tried to get out of this situation.
- Mountain lions avoid people and attack only if a person scares an animal or interferes with hunting. Such neutrality to people allowed to tame cougars, even to keep them as pets. But now it is forbidden to do this, since cougars are strictly protected.
Cougars are an important part of the ecosystem of America and are not distinguished by aggression, so they especially need protection from poaching and the destruction of the habitat.
