Mountain lion is found in South and Central America, the United States, Alaska and Central Canada. This predator is also called a cougar, or cougar. A beautiful and graceful beast by nature is a great individualist.
External difference
Mountain lion (or cougar) lives only on the American continent. This is a very large beast, the length of the male reaches two meters and forty centimeters. The female is a little smaller, she does not happen more than two meters. This wild cat in size is only slightly inferior to the jaguar.
The mountain lion of the stronger sex can weigh from sixty to one hundred kilograms. Female - from thirty to sixty five. Females are weaker than males, but they are more elegant. Among large predatory cats, a mountain lion is in fifth place: in the first is a tiger, in the second is an African lion, in the third is an Asian lion, in the fourth is a jaguar. The cougar has strong and massive hind legs, a round head and protruding ears.
This is a
big enough
cat. A mountain lion weighing one hundred and twenty-five kilograms was killed in
Arizona. The color of the cougar can have a different shade and color. Adult animals are red, silver, dark yellow. The coat, which is located in the lower part of the body, is slightly lighter than in the upper.
When a wild cat baby is born, it is all covered with dark spots, and its tail is striped. Over time, the wool will become plain. Puma is an excellent jumper, the height of the jump can reach about six meters, but its length is sometimes twelve meters.
Abilities and life of a mountain lion
As mentioned above, the puma's hind legs are very powerful. Running speed - up to 70 km per hour. The American mountain lion perfectly climbs tree branches. The structure of the body contributes to short and rapid running, long distances pume can not be overcome. This predatory animal is a wonderful hunter and can exist both on flat terrain and in the mountains.
A mountain lion is an individualist by nature, prefers to live alone. Cougars (also called a cat) are grouped in pairs only in order to breed. This is a very short period of time (approximately ten days). In ordinary life, the female and the male have their own separate territory, where they hunt. A female cougar owns somewhere around 25 square meters, male cats have up to 50 square meters. Cougars mark their territory with feces and urine. The cougar does not invade other people's possessions, otherwise the conflict cannot be avoided.
Mountain lion breeding
When the female reaches the age of three, she becomes sexually mature. The puma has a gestation period of three months. During this time, the cat prepares a place where she will give birth to her cubs. The female arranges a den in a stone niche (or cave). On average, a cougar gives birth to two or three babies, but sometimes it can be one cub or as many as six. Cougar feeds his newborn for three months with milk. After that, the mother takes the children to hunt and teaches everything that she can do. At the age of six months, the kids try to catch their first small prey.
Until two years old, wild cat cubs live with their mother. After they leave their native family and begin to live alone. Females linger near the mother a little longer than males. Young animals often die in the wild, because young cougars are very hot-tempered and constantly conflict with their relatives. As a rule, only one cub survives from one brood.
Mountain lion feeding
Pum's favorite treats are mice and frogs, rabbits and birds, reptiles and grasshoppers. They also prey on small and medium ungulates. People living in agricultural areas, cougar called "harmful creatures." Cougar often attacks sheep. On the hunt, a predatory cat quickly jumps to prey and sticks its teeth into the victim's scruff. Sometimes the maneuver fails, then the mountain lion does not try to catch up with the animal, because the cougar cannot run for a long time. It’s easier for her to pick up a new victim. When the hunt is successful, the cougar digs the remains of the carcass into branches or snow. The next day, the cougar will return for his meal. The mountain lion has lived for more than twenty years.