Puma avoid humans whenever possible. Aside from mountain lion, they are commonly referred to as cougars, pumas, panthers and catamounts. In the United States, these cats live primarily in western states and Florida. Mountain Lion. Mountain lions are covered with tawny, brown fur that is short and coarse. Due to poaching and habitat loss, its estimated there may be fewer than 20,000 lions left today. Mountain lions live in areas with dense shrubbery, undergrowth and other plant life for cover. 34 Issue 3, p782-799, Kemper, Steve. Mountain lions are generally found in remote mountains, wetlands, canyonlands or hilly areas with good cover. Biological Puma Concolor cougars (mountain lions) are large, slender forests, grassland, dry brush country, swamps, and any areas with adequate There are an estimated 4,000 to 6,000 mountain lions … ... Phylum or Kingdom. Its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America, and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere. They have small heads with short faces. Phylogenetic Tree. Phylum: Chordata. Scientific name of the mountain lion is Puma concolor. In colder climates, the coat of a mountain lion is likely to be lighter in color — almost a … Incas called it “puma,” while early South American Indians called it “cuguacuarana,” from which the word “cougar” comes. They start eating a meat at one and a half months, then eating meat exclusively after weaning. “Cougar” is one of the 40 nicknames for mountain lions, along with puma, panther, catamount, mountain screamer, Mexican lion, painter, red lion and American lion. When they cannot find or kill a deer, these predators will prey on any animal. If they do attack it is most likely on small adults and ungulates. It was below the base of the skull. You should never run from a mountain lion or turn your back to it. The big cat’s phylum is Chordata, in the class Mammalia, order Carnivora, family Felidae and genus Puma. The cats stand between two feet and 2’6″ from the ground to their shoulders. Pumas are very intelligent. Early Spanish explorers of the Americas called the cat “leon,” meaning lion and “gato monte, meaning mountain cat. They have muscular bodies, weighing between 75 and 175 pounds on average. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/resources/mac_carter_cougar/Cougar_2.jpg/view.html, Taxonomy of the Mountain Mountain lions are called by over 40 names in English alone, including cougar, panther, catamount and puma. This is not good for the species because they have been hit by cars or taken 6, p40-41, Choate, David M.; Wolfe, Michael L.; Stoner, David 108 Issue The coloration of these cats range from a yellowish brown to a The only dog that looks like it would even have a chance is the first one, but even that one would be no match for the lion's claws. Taxonomy-. Mountain lion color in the United States is most commonly tan. They are usually found in mountain regions and Ears are rounded and small. Phylum Chordata. These cats also roam as far as the northeastern states from time-to-time. If all else fails or as an easy snack, some even eat insects. American terrestrial mammals. But it compares closely to other lions and their tiny cousins, domestic house cats. 214 Issue 1, p72-81, Williams, Ted. 176 pp. Also, they have a pink nose with black that extends incisors. in the wild, however, they may live slightly longer in captivity. 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