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Mountain Lion
Puma concolor
The mountain lion is also known as the cougar, puma, panther, and catamount, and is the largest wild cat in North America. Its fur is beige in color and it has a white belly. Young mountain lions have spots, but adults do not. Mountain lions have powerful limbs and can leap as high as 15 feet and as far as 40 feet.
Height 2-2.3 feet at shoulders
Length 3.5-5.5 feet (2-2.5-foot tail
length)
Weight 110-180 lbs for males; females weigh slightly less.
Lifespan About 12 years in the wild; up to 25 years in captivity
Diet
Staples Large mammals such as deer
Will also eat smaller mammals
such as mice, squirrels, porcupines, raccoons, rabbits and beavers.
Population
There are an estimated 30,000 mountain lions in the western U.S. One mountain lion subspecies, the Florida panther, is critically endangered with a population of less than 100 individuals.
Range
With the exception of humans, the mountain lion has the largest range of any mammal in the Western Hemisphere. They are found from Canada to Argentina. In North America, they can be found from British Columbia and southern Alberta to California and Texas. Small populations can be found east of the Mississippi River. The Florida panther is found in isolated populations in Florida.
Behavior
Mountain lions are solitary animals. They are very territorial and actively avoid other cats except during courtship. Their ranges can vary in size from 10 square miles to around 370 square miles; females tend to have smaller ranges than males.
Mountain lions are active hunters and may travel long distances in search of food. They hunt alone and attack from behind, breaking the neck of their prey by biting it at the base of the skull. After killing their prey, they will bury it and leave it, coming back to feed on it when hungry.
Reproduction
Mating Season Commonly from December to March, but can happen
at any time during the year
Gestation 82-96 days
Litter size 2-4
kittens
Reproduction Females have two to four kittens, which the
mother raises alone. The kittens nurse for two months, and then start to
travel with their mother at which time she teaches them to hunt. They will
remain with their mother from 1 ½ - 2 years. Males that enter another
male’s territory have been known to kill the kittens so that females will be
more willing to mate.
Threats
They have long been persecuted and hunted as a threat to livestock. Current threats also include habitat loss and poaching.
Legal Status/Protection
Endangered Species Act* (three subspecies of the mountain lion are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act: Florida panther, Costa Rican puma, and Eastern puma).
* The Endangered Species Act requires the US federal government to identify species threatened with extinction, identify habitat they need to survive, and help protect both. In doing so, the Act works to ensure the basic health of our natural ecosystems and protect the legacy of conservation we leave to our children and grandchildren.
How You Can Help
- Help moutain lions, Florida panthers and other wildlife by adopting a panther today at our Wildlife Adoption Center.
- Take Action for Wildlife at our Wildlife Action Center.
