English: Pumas are powerfully built large slender cats, with large paws & sharp claws. Their hind legs are larger & more muscular than their front legs to give them great jumping power. Have a plain colored fur ranging from tawny to silver grey or reddish brown. The throat & chest are whitish. Have a pinkish nose with a black border that extends to the lips. The muzzle stripes, the area behind ears, & the tip of tail are black. The eyes of mature animals are grayish brown to golden. The tail is long, cylindrical, & about one-third of the animal's total length.

Facts 1.Early Spanish explorers of North & South America called it leon (lion) & 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, to cuguar.

2. It is native to the Americas. Its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America. It is an adaptable, generalist species. Due to its wide range, it has many names including puma, mountain lion, red tiger, & catamount.

3. It is the fourth heaviest cat after the lion, leopard, jaguar & tiger. Secretive & largely solitary by nature, the cougar is properly considered both nocturnal & crepuscular, although daytime sightings do occur.

4. Its an ambush predator, pursues a wide variety of prey, particularly deer, also hunts small insects &rodents. This cat prefers habitats with dense underbrush & rocky areas for stalking.

5. Pumas can run up to 80 km/h (50 mph) and jump as high as 20 feet.

6. Pumas use whistles, screams, squeaks & purrs to communicate.

7. Hunting, following European colonization of the Americas & the ongoing human development into cougar habitat has caused populations to drop.

Specs: Scientific name: Puma concolor. Family: Felidae Height: 2-3 ft approx. Weight: 70-100 kg approx. Length: 7-8 ft approx. Life Span: 12-18 years approx Speed: 80 kmph / 50 mph. Territory: 150-1000 sq km. Diet: Carnivore. Habitat: North & South Americas.

IUCN Status: Least Concern.