Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Puma
Species: Concolor
Mountain lions are big cats native to the Americas. They are extremely adaptable and they live in a wide variety of habitats like forests, mountains and even swamps. They used to roam all over the continent, but now they are mostly found on the eastern coast of North America and most of South America. They are not known for being the strongest or the fastest; they hunt by ambush. They hide in trees or bushes near places that they know their prey often visits. Then they wait until the perfect moment and leap onto their prey. Because they thrive in diverse habitats, their preferred catch depends on where they live.
For more information visit the following sites: http://mountainlion.org/FAQfrequentlyaskedquestions.asp,
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/mountain-lion/ & http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Puma_concolor/
• They are also known as pumas, cougars, catamounts and panthers.
• Mountain lions grow between 6 to 9 feet long, weighing around 136 pounds.
• Mountain Lions are solitary and known for being shy; they don’t often approach humans.
• Common prey are deer, raccoons, rabbits, coyotes and porcupines.
• They do not hibernate.
• Cubs are born blind and are dependent on their mothers.
• They have yellowish brown to greyish hair, which helps them blend into many landscapes.
• The throat and chest of the cats are often whitish and they have black stripes along their nose, mouth and ears.
• Their long tails are 1/3 of their body.
• Because they are so solitary, they require a lot of land to survive. This makes it difficult to survive with human development encroaching on their habitat.
• They usually live between 8 and 13 years in the wild.
• They use their great eyesight to spot prey.
• If they have a large kill, they will save some for later by burying it in the dirt or snow.
