Exploring the Fascinating World of Cougars: 10 Incredible Facts

Panther? Mountain lion? Puma? Cougar? They are all the same! The cougar (Felis concolor) is a large cat native to the Americas. Its range spans from northwest Canada to the southern Andes in South America.

Cougars are most closely related to the jaguarundi and the cheetah. They all belong to the family Felidae and are believed to have originated from Asia 11 million years ago. However, much of what is known regarding their evolutionary history is only based on mitochondrial DNA analysis.

Cougars play a significant role in the ecosystem. They help prevent the population of ungulate species from becoming more extensive than their habitat can support. Although conflicts usually occur with other predators and scavengers, no species preys on mature cougars in the wild except for humans.

We’ve put together 10 incredible cougar facts to help you learn a little more about this powerful predator.

1. Cougars Have a Lot of Names

The first fact about cougars that we’re going to share is about their names. Cougars have more than forty English names, owing in part to the vast range that they live in. “Puma” is one of the most common names in Latin America and several parts of Europe. The first use of puma dates back to 1777, when it was introduced in Spanish.

“Mountain lion” was first used in 1858 in the western United States and Canada. It’s believed it was called a mountain lion because lions and cougars have striking similarities. Other names include catamount, panther, red lion, painter, American lion, Mexican lion, and mountain screamer. 

2. The Cougar Is the Fourth-Largest Cat Species in the World

The Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris) holds the title of being the biggest cat species in the world. However, cougars come in fourth place after the lion (Panthera leo) and the jaguar (Panthera onca). Adult male cougars are about seven feet long from nose to tail tip. Adult female cougars are approximately six feet long. The overall length of a cougar is between four and nine feet from head to tail. The tail typically accounts for 25 to 37 inches. Males weigh between 117 and 220 lbs, averaging 150 pounds. Females weigh about 64 and 141 lbs, averaging 121 pounds. The largest recorded cougar, shot in 1901, weighed 232 lb.

3. The Cougar Is an Ambush Predator

Cougars are generalists and hypercarnivores. Their diet consists of bighorn sheep, mountain goats, elks, white-tailed deer, and moose. They also prey on smaller animals like lagomorphs, rodents, and birds.

Cougars are typically ambush predators, though they are capable of sprinting. They hide and stalk prey across ledges, in the bushes, and other covered places before delivering a mighty leap onto the back of the unsuspecting prey. 

4. Cougars Can Leap More Than Twenty-Five Feet

Cougars aren’t as fast as cheetahs or as strong as jaguars, but they can leap an incredible distance of twenty-five feet. They have powerful hind legs, which allows for their great leaping and short-sprinting ability. They can also leap up to 18 feet from the ground onto a fence or tree. A six-to-eight-foot fence cannot deter a cougar from reaching your livestock. You will need at least a 12-foot fence with a four-foot slanted overhang for adequate protection since cougars can jump over a 10-foot fence carrying a small animal in their jaws.

5. Cougar Cubs Are Born With Spots

Cougar cubs are born with spots. Incredibly, the reason for this is to conceal them from predators. The black spots act as camouflage to help the cubs blend into their environment, making them more difficult for predators to find. These spots usually disappear when the young cougars are about nine months old.

6. Cougars Cannot Roar

One of the most surprising cougar facts is that they cannot roar. This is because they have a rigid hyoid bone instead of a flexible one. However, these fierce cats can purr — just like the regular domestic cat. They also make other sounds like growls, squeaks, hisses, screams, and whistles, similar to the sounds smaller cats produce.

7. Cougars Are Solitary Animals

Cougars are solitary animals, like almost all cats. Adults rarely meet. Only mothers and their kittens live in groups. Despite being loners, cougars share their kills. They also organize themselves into smaller communities led by a dominant male. When males from different communities encounter each other, they vocalize and may engage in violent fights if neither backs down.

8. Cougars Can Reach 50mph

Although they are not the fastest land animals (that title goes to the cheetah), cougars are still able to reach a top speed of 50mph. However, they are unable to sustain this speed over a long period and instead can only manage it in short bursts.

9. Cougars Are Widely Distributed in the Western Hemisphere

The cougar has one of the most extensive ranges of any wild animal in the Western Hemisphere, living from southern Canada to southern South America. They inhabit all types of forests, lowlands, and mountainous deserts with little vegetation. They are found mainly in the United States, from the Rocky Mountains to California.

10. Cougars Have a Poor Sense of Smell

Incredibly, cougars actually have a poor sense of smell. Instead, they must rely on their eyes and ears when hunting. Their eyes take in all the available light, and their night vision is excellent, so they prefer hunting early in the morning and late in the evening.