Cougar (Puma)

Pumas primarily feed on deer and elk, but they are also known to hunt bighorn sheep, coyotes, rabbits, porcupines, raccoons, and other small mammals. A single puma can consume one deer per week to ten days, and possibly more if it is a mother raising cubs. These animals are mostly ambush hunters, silently stalking their prey before leaping at close range and using their strong jaws to kill prey. When they catch a meal, pumas sometimes bury part of it to eat later, hiding it with leaves, grass, dirt, or even snow.

At the Zoo, pumas are offered a specialized ground carnivore diet. They regularly receive bones and other types of meat for enrichment. An unexpected favorite are large, whole sweet potatoes, which they love to shred using their back paws.

Historically, pumas had the most expansive distribution of all land mammals in the Americas. They ranged from coast to coast in North America and from southeastern Alaska to Chile. Populations in eastern North America have been eliminated, except for a small population of Florida panthers, a subspecies. Pumas have maintained their ranges in the western United States, north into Canada, and throughout South America.

The size of their home ranges varies from 30 to 125 square miles, with overlap from different individuals. Typically, the males have the largest home ranges and overlap with the smaller ranges of several females.

Pumas are very adaptable animals, meaning they can live in many different environments. They can be found in places like deserts, rainforests, and mountains. Pumas usually prefer areas that are remote and rugged, with lots of plants to help them stalk and hunt their prey. They also need safe places to rest and plenty of larger animals to hunt. Recently, puma populations have been moving into areas where people live, especially in the western United States. They have become quite common in suburban California.

The puma is usually at the top of the food chain and has no natural enemies. However, they sometimes compete with other predators such as bears and wolves for food.

Human development can lead to the habitat loss and separation of ranges, putting them at risk. Busy roads block the movement of these cats, making it easy for them to be hit by cars. Additionally, in places where they might hunt livestock or seem dangerous to people, these cats may be hunted in response.

The largest of the small cat species, this animal is strong and very agile. It has a long body and unusually long back legs. Its limbs are muscular, and the feet are wide, with four toes on the back feet and five on the front feet. Their sharp claws are retractable. It has a long neck, a small, wide head, and short, rounded ears. Their short muzzles give them increased biting power, and long canine teeth are specially adapted for cutting through muscle and tendons. Its tail is long and cylindrical, making up about one-third of the animal's total length, which helps it balance when climbing.

The coat colors can range from silvery-gray to tawny-yellow and even light reddish-brown. The throat, chest, and belly are light buff or whitish, while black markings are on the sides of the muzzle. Adult animals have grayish-brown or golden eyes.

Pumas mate throughout the year, but the timing can change depending on where they live. In northern areas, most mating happens between December and March. A female puma can become ready to mate at any time during the year. They usually have babies every other year, with litters that can range from one to four cubs, but on average, there are two cubs per litter.

After being born, the cubs open their eyes about ten days later. During this time, their ears start to unfold, and they grow their first teeth. The cubs begin to play around this age, too. They are weaned, or no longer drink their mother’s milk, by the time they are around 40 days old. The mother stays with her cubs for about 15 months on average, but they can stay together for as long as two years.

These cats often communicate with each other by leaving "messages" through feces, urine, scratched logs, or by making "scrapes" - small piles of dirt kicked up with their back feet. These messages serve as territory markers. They can produce a variety of sounds to convey their message, including short, high-pitched screams and a whistle-like call. They have also been known to squeak, growl, hiss, and yowl. However, pumas are considered small cats, which means they cannot roar like larger cat species. Instead, they purr.

Pumas are stealthy and solitary animals, except during breeding or when a mother is caring for her cubs. They are most active during dawn and dusk and are nocturnal, spending most of their time traveling and hunting at night. Pumas are not aggressive and will usually flee rather than confront humans. They are capable of climbing and will often seek refuge in trees to escape from danger, such as humans, wolves, and dogs.