Cougar

퓨마

The cougar ranges from Canada to the tip of South America, wider than any other large wild mammal in the Americas. It stalks deer and can leap about 5 m up or more than 10 m forward from a standstill.

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Class: Mammals
Lives in: Frank Church Wilderness, Idaho, USA
Diet: Meat eater (carnivore)
Weight: about 52 kg
Length: about 2.2 m
Top speed: about 64 km/h
Lifespan: up to about 20 years
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN LC)
Habitat: forests, mountains, deserts, grasslands

Quick answers

Where does the Cougar live?

It lives in forests, mountains, deserts, grasslands. On the globe you can find it near Frank Church Wilderness, Idaho, USA.

How big is the Cougar?

It grows to about 2.2 m and 52 kg.

What does the Cougar eat?

Its diet: meat eater (carnivore).

How fast is the Cougar?

It can reach about 64 km/h.

How long does the Cougar live?

It can live up to about 20 years.

Is the Cougar endangered?

It is listed as Least Concern (IUCN LC).

The cougar, also called puma, mountain lion, catamount or panther, is a large cat of the Americas. It lives from Yukon and British Columbia in Canada down through Mexico and the Amazon to the southern Andes of Patagonia, which makes it the most widely spread wild land mammal in the Western Hemisphere.

It is an adaptable generalist that lives in mountains, forests, deserts and grasslands, as long as it has cover for stalking. It is largely solitary and mostly avoids people. It holds the Guinness record for the animal with the most names, more than 40 in English alone. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern.

How does a cougar hunt?

The cougar is an ambush predator. Deer are its main food, but it also hunts rodents. It prefers dense underbrush and rocky ground for stalking. It is territorial and lives at low numbers per area, with home ranges depending on terrain and prey. Even though it is large, it is not always the top predator in its range, and sometimes yields a kill to other predators.

People and cougars

The name 'cougar' comes through French from the Tupi language, via the Portuguese çuçuarana. After European settlers arrived, heavy hunting and development cut populations in most of their old range. The eastern cougar is considered mostly locally extinct in eastern North America since the early 20th century, except for the Florida panther. Attacks on humans are rare but have increased as more people move into cougar habitat.

Fun facts

It is known by many names, including puma, mountain lion and panther.
It has over 40 names in English alone.
It is the most widespread wild land mammal in the Western Hemisphere.
The Florida panther is an isolated group of cougars that still lives in the east.
Its name comes from a Tupi word.