What is the average size of a cougar?
The cougar typically weighs between 90 and 180 lbs, with a few large males topping 200 lbs. Cougars are tan to brown. Adult cougars have a body length about 5-6 feet long from nose to base of tail.
How many kittens can a cougar have?
The North American cougar usually hunts at night and sometimes travels long distances in search of food. Its average litter size is three cubs. It is fast, and can maneuver quite easily and skillfully. Depending on the abundance of prey such as deer, it shares the same prey as the jaguar in Central or North America.
What is the weight of a cougar?
Unique among big cats, the cougar cannot roar and instead purrs, much like a house cat! So what is the weight of a cougar? On average, a male cougar will weigh between 117 to 220 pounds (53 to 100 kg). The average is 150 pounds (68 kg). Females usually weigh less than males, coming in at around 64 to 141 pounds (29 to 64 kg).
How does a puma differ from a cougar in dating?
They're both large cats that prey upon smaller critters, correct? According to David Wygant, a puma is a woman between the ages of 22-29 that dates a younger fellow, while a cougar is a woman between the ages of 30-44 that does so.
How big do female cougars get?
An adult cougar can range in length from 42 to 54 inches, with a 3-foot-long tail. Adult males weigh up to 200 pounds, and adult females up to 120 pounds.
How tall is a female mountain lion?
Solitary and nocturnal by nature, the Cougar is rarely spotted as it is wary of humans. Cougars have a shoulder height between 21”-28” (53-71 cm), body length of 42”-54” (107-137 cm), and weight in the range of 65-200 lb (30-91 kg). The tail of a Cougar is 24”-36” (61-91 cm) in length.
Are female cougars bigger than male cougars?
Males and females vary in size and weight, with males being about 1/3 larger than females. Adult males may be more than eight feet long and can weigh 135 - 175 pounds. Adult females may be up to seven feet long and weigh between 90 and 105 pounds.
How tall is a female puma?
Adult males grow to 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 meters) long and females average 5 to 7 feet (1.5 to 2.1 meters).
How can you tell a female cougar from a male?
To tell the difference between a male and female in this situation, you need to look at the distance between the black spot and the base of the tail (or the anus if visible). If it's clearly 4 inches or more then it is a male, if it's quite a bit less than 4 inches then it is a female.
What is the biggest cougar?
The largest recorded cougar, shot in 1901, weighed 105.2 kg (232 lb); claims of 125.2 kg (276 lb) and 118 kg (260 lb) have been reported, though they were probably exaggerated.
What's the difference between a puma and a cougar?
Mountain lion, puma, cougar, panther—this cat is known by more names than just about any other mammal! But no matter what you call it, it's still the same cat, Puma concolor, the largest of the "small cats." So how did it get so many names?
What is the difference between a mountain lion and a cougar?
Mountain lion and cougar are actually two different names for the same animal. Cougars have a very large range spanning much of North and South America. Different groups of people called them by different names.
What is a tom cougar?
The Mountain Lion, Puma concolor An adult male, called a Tom, Mountain Lion can weigh up to 150 pounds and measure up to 8 feet in length from nose to tail. Mature females, called Queens, will measure 7 feet in length from tail to nose and weigh as much as 90 pounds.
What is the difference between cougar and Jaguar?
Despite essentially being named after the jaguar, cougars are a separate species from jaguars. The jaguar is the largest cat in the Americas, while the cougar is the second largest. The name “puma” also got its start in South America, where it remains the most commonly used name for the cougar.
How big is a cougar compared to a lion?
As you move out towards each pole (mountain lions are found from the tip of North America to the tip of South America!), they get bigger. The largest a male mountain lion can weigh is 220 lbs, with females topping out at 141 lbs – easily half the size of a lion.
How high can a cougar jump vertically?
18 ft9. Cougars have large paws and proportionally the largest hind legs in the cat family. This physique allows it great leaping and short-sprint ability. An exceptional vertical leap of 5.4 m (18 ft) is reported for the cougar.
How tall is a cougar?
The cougar is extremely agile and has great jumping power and may leap from the ground up to a height of 18 feet into a tree. It is a good swimmer but prefers not to enter the water.
How long do cougars live?
The may remain reproductive until 12 years of age for females, and 20 years for males. In captivity, cougars have lived over 20 years, as compared to 8 – 10 in the wild. At Big Cat Rescue one cougar lived to one month shy of 30 years.
How many babies do cougars have?
Females tend to reproduce every other year, and give birth to litters of 1 – 6 (usually 2-3) cougar kittens after a gestation of 90-96 days. Mothers give birth to their young in dens that are lined with moss or vegetation, usually in rock shelters, crevices, piles of rocks, thickets, caves, or some other protected place.
What is the largest cat in the felis?
Sight is its most acute sense with a good sense of hearing, but is thought to have a poorly developed sense of smell. Size and Appearance: The cougar is the largest cat in the genus “felis”, and is comparable in size as the leopard. They vary in length from 59 – 108 inches with a tail length of 21 – 36 inches, and height from 23 – 28 inches at ...
How do cougars communicate?
They communicate by the use visual and olfactory signals, and the males regularly make scrapes in the soil or snow. Their vocalizations include growls, hisses, and bird-like whistles.
What do cougars eat?
Hunting and Diet: Cougars primarily feed on large mammals, preferring deer, but they will also eat Coyotes, Porcupines, Beaver, mice marmots, hares, raccoons, birds and even grasshoppers . They kill by stalking to within 30 feet of their prey before pouncing from its hiding place.
How big is a squid?
They vary in length from 59 – 108 inches with a tail length of 21 – 36 inches, and height from 23 – 28 inches at the shoulder. Weight can vary greatly, between 75 and 250 pounds. They have a long body with a small head, short face, and a long neck and tail. They are powerfully built, and the hind legs are larger than the front.
What is a cougar cat?
The cougar is a type of cat which is large and slender with a short coarse coat. Its color ranges from yellowish to grayish brown except for the belly, which is a paler color. The chest and throat are whitish. Their nose is pinkish, with a black border extending to the lips.
Where do cougars live?
Cougars live in a wide variety of environments including montane coniferous forests, grassland, swamps, lowland tropical forests, dry brush country, and any other areas that offer adequate cover and prey. They use dense vegetation, rocky crevices and caves for shelter.
How long do cougars give birth?
Females tend to give birth every other year, to 1 – 6 kittens, following a gestation period of 90-96 days. They give birth in dens lined with vegetation or moss, usually within a protected place such as a rock shelter, pile of rocks, crevice, thicket, or caves. The kittens stay with their mothers until 1-2 years old. At about 40 days they are fully weaned. Females are sexual mature at about 2.5 years and males at about 3. They do not reproduce until after they have established a permanent home area.
How are cougars killed?
Cougars are killed by sport hunters and also by farmers protecting their livestock. Habitat loss, poaching of their wild prey base and car accidents are further threats, as well as capture for zoos.
How often do cougars eat?
Fun Facts for Kids. Cougars usually eat only once or twice in a week. They cannot roar the way a lion does, but can make sounds like a human scream. An Incan city in Peru called Cusco, was designed to be the same shape as a cougar.
How long do kittens stay with their mothers?
The kittens stay with their mothers until 1-2 years old. At about 40 days they are fully weaned. Females are sexual mature at about 2.5 years and males at about 3.
Do cougars communicate?
Cougars are solitary animals and keep away from other individuals except during mating. Males will keep together immediately after having left their mother, but hardly ever as older adults. They are primarily nocturnal. They communicate through visual and olfactory signals, and males will often make scrapes in the snow or soil. The noises they make include hisses, growls and bird-like whistles. They have summer and winter ranges in some areas, migrating between them.
Determining Sex
Here are two photos of a cougar’s backside. The photo on the left is an 8-month old female and the right side is an adult male. Notice the black spot of hair on the adult male (it surrounds the penis sheath), only males have this black spot (kittens are harder to differentiate but follow a similar pattern).
Determining Age from Teeth
LEFT: An adult female. Notice the yellowing of the teeth and the worn incisors. Also notice the length of her canine compared to the kitten on the right. This cougar’s canines are still fairly sharp; they get duller with age.
What is the average age for a cougar?
Determine the woman’s age. The generally accepted age group for cougars is 40-plus ; however, some people go as low as 35 in their definition. With new creams and procedures available, many men and women are able to look much younger than they are. Some things you can look for, which apply to both sexes:
What is the stereotype of a cougar?
The comical cougar stereotype is of a woman wearing clothes that are much too young, and often too tight, for her — usually in tacky fabrics such as animal print. The reality is that women of any age can dress in a tasteless and unflattering manner.
What age do cougars date?
Learn more... “Cougars” are popularly defined as women in their 40s (or older) who date significantly younger men, generally at a 10-year age gap or more. Pop culture paints the cougar as predatory and pathetically desperate, but women have recently begun fighting the stereotype: real cougars, they argue, are confident, successful, ...
Why do women in their 40s seek younger men?
Many women in their 40s admit to seeking younger men because they are more open-minded, adventurous, and romantic. When going out on dates, be adventurous and willing to try new things. Share your interests with her, and learn about her interests too.
How much does a cougar weigh?
On average, a male cougar will weigh between 117 to 220 pounds (53 to 100 kg). The average is 150 pounds (68 kg). Females usually weigh less than males, coming in at around 64 to 141 pounds (29 to 64 kg).
What is a cougar?
Cougars are part of the Felidae family, which is thought to have originated over 11 million years ago. As skilled hunters, cougars stay hidden from prey before pouncing at the last moment, using their powerful jaws and large teeth to feast on deer, elk and beavers. ~ Fun Fact ~.
Where do cougars live?
Cougars look somewhat like house cats, with a slender body, round whiskered faces and pointed ears. They are found everywhere from the United States to Patagonia, living in a wide variety of different habitats including forests, deserts and mountains.
What is the second largest cat in the world?
Wild. Whether you know it as a cougar, puma, panther or mountain lion, this wild terrestrial mammal is the second largest cat in North America, and the fourth largest worldwide. Unique among big cats, the cougar cannot roar and instead purrs, much like a house cat!
What do cougars look for in a man?
There are three things that a cougar looks for in a man – attractiveness, ambition and attention. 7. A cougar does not like playing games and knows what she wants. She does not usually hesitate to approach a younger man and express her interest.
How old is a cougar?
1. Age is an important factor in spotting a cougar, who is usually 40 years of age. She can also be a few years younger, or much older. 2. A cougar is usually very concerned about her face and skin. She may have undergone surgery or other cosmetic procedures to look younger, or cover up the signs of aging using makeup. 3.
Who are the cougars in Hollywood?
Some of the popular cougars in Hollywood include Demi Moore, Sandra Bullock, Madonna, Susan Sarandon and Mariah Carey.
Is it rare to see a cougar?
It is quite rare to see a cougar who is not in shape. Expect her to be physically active as she wants to look good in her trendy, form-fitting clothes (which are usually a bit adventurous for her age). 4. Almost all the time, a cougar has enough money to provide for her younger partner.
Overview
Characteristics
The head of the cougar is round and the ears are erect. Its powerful forequarters, neck, and jaw serve to grasp and hold large prey. It has four retractile claws on its hind paws and five on its forepaws, of which one is a dewclaw. The larger front feet and claws are adaptations for clutching prey.
Cougars are slender and agile members of the Felidae. They are the fourth larg…
Naming and etymology
The word cougar is borrowed from the Portuguese çuçuarana, via French; it was originally derived from the Tupi language. A current form in Brazil is suçuarana. In the 17th century, Georg Marcgrave named it cuguacu ara. Marcgrave's rendering was reproduced in 1648 by his associate Willem Piso. Cuguacu ara was then adopted by John Ray in 1693. In 1774, Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon converted cuguacu ara to cuguar, which was later modified to "cougar" in English.
Taxonomy and evolution
Felis concolor was the scientific name proposed by Carl Linnaeus in 1771 for a cat with a long tail from Brazil. The second half of the name, "concolor" is Latin for "of uniform color". It was placed in the genus Puma by William Jardine in 1834. This genus is part of the Felinae. The cougar is most closely related to the jaguarundi and the cheetah.
Distribution and habitat
The cougar has the largest range of any wild land animal in the Americas, spanning 110 degrees of latitude from the Yukon Territory in Canada to the southern Andes in Chile. The species was extirpated from eastern North America, aside from Florida, but they may be recolonizing their former range and isolated populations have been documented east of their contemporary ranges in both …
Behavior and ecology
Cougars are important keystone species in Western Hemisphere ecosystems, linking numerous different species at many trophic levels. In a comprehensive literature review of more than 160 studies on cougar ecology, ecological interactions with 485 other species in cougar-inhabited ecosystems have been shown to involve different areas of interaction, ranging from the use of other s…
Conservation
The cougar has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2008 and is also listed on CITES Appendix II. Hunting it is prohibited in California, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, French Guiana, Suriname, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and most of Argentina. Hunting is regulated in Canada, Mexico, Peru and the United States. Establishing wildlife …
Relationships with humans
Due to the expanding human population, cougar ranges increasingly overlap with areas inhabited by humans. Attacks on humans are very rare, as cougar prey recognition is a learned behavior and they do not generally recognize humans as prey. In a 10-year study in New Mexico of wild cougars who were not habituated to humans, the animals did not exhibit threatening behavior to researchers wh…