Pumas Are Solitary Cats, Except During Breeding and When a Mother Has Cubs. but That Doesn

Pumas

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, Felis concolor, the largest of the small cat species. So how did it get so many names? Mostly because it has such a large range, and people from different countries have called it different things. Early Spanish explorers to North and South America called it leon (lion) and gato monte (cat of the mountain), from which we get the name mountain lion. Puma is the name the Incas gave this cat in their language. Cougar seems to have come from an old South American Indian word, cuguacuarana, which was shortened to cuguar and then spelled differently. And panther is a general term for cats that have solid-colored coats, so it was used for pumas as well as black jaguars. All of these names are considered correct, but scientists usually use the name puma. You may have heard of the Florida panther. This is a subspecies of puma that used to be found from Texas throughout the southeast, but is now only found in Florida. It is endangered, with only about 50 cats left, and conservation efforts are underway to try to save it.

Pumas are solitary cats, except during breeding and when a mother has cubs. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have any contact with one another. They live in areas called "home ranges," which vary in size from 30 to 125 square miles. These ranges overlap, so the cats share some parts. The home range is where each cat spends most of its time and does most of its hunting. Pumas find shelter to rest or get away from bad weather in thick brush, rocky crevices, or caves, which might be anywhere in their home range. Only mothers set up a specific den, where they give birth to their cubs and stay with them until they are old enough to go out hunting, at about six months of age.

Pumas are powerfully built, with large paws, sharp claws, and hind legs that are larger and more muscular than their front legs to give them great jumping power. They can also run fast and have a flexible spine like a cheetah’s to help them maneuver around obstacles and change direction quickly. Even so, they are mostly ambush hunters: they stalk their prey, then hide in trees, brush, or grass before leaping out to grab it. Pumas eat a variety of prey depending on where they live, including deer, pigs, capybaras, raccoons, armadillos, hares, and squirrels. Some larger cats even bring down animals as big as an elk or a moose.

As more people have moved into the puma’s territory, the number of encounters with these cats has increased. This is often "big news" and frightens people. But overall, meeting a puma is an unlikely event. The cats don’t want to confront humans, and they will do their best to avoid us.

Some people have considered pumas to be pests and shot them on sight, or trapped or poisoned them. That’s one of the reasons that pumas have become scarce across North America. It’s important to remember that pumas have an essential role to play in their ecosystems: they are one of the top predators, and without them populations of deer and other animals would become unhealthy and too large for the habitat. It’s true that pumas can be dangerous, and problem cats should be reported to local animal control agencies, like the U. S. Department of Fish and Game. But people like to live and play in or near wild places, so we need to understand and respect the wildlife that also lives there. If we take responsibility for our own behavior, pets, livestock, and property, we can learn to live with pumas and appreciate their power and grace.