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 PREDATOR - The Cougar

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Brauner
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PREDATOR - The Cougar Empty
PostSubject: PREDATOR - The Cougar   PREDATOR - The Cougar EmptySat May 05, 2018 2:43 am


The Cougar

PREDATOR - The Cougar 320px-Mountain-lion-01623

Also known as a Puma, Panther, Mountain Lion, and Catamount- this big cat of many names is found in a variety of habitats, for example, the Canadian forests or Florida swamps. Cougars once covered nearly the whole of the United States, however, due to human impacts such as hunting (generally and as a sport), farming, etc. these big cats have now declined greatly - and now only roam around specific parts of the US, such as the Canadian provinces. In relation to the decline of the mountain lion range, white-tailed deer have now rebounded in the areas that lack these predators.


Conservation status
PREDATOR - The Cougar 220px-Status_iucn3.1_LC.svg

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Puma
Species: P. concolor

Binomial name
Puma concolor

Range

PREDATOR - The Cougar 322px-Cougar_range_map_2010

Behavior
Secretive and largely solitary by nature, the cougar is properly considered both nocturnal and crepuscular, although daytime sightings do occur. The cougar is an ambush predator and pursues a wide variety of prey. Primary food sources are ungulates, particularly deer, but also livestock. It also hunts species as small as insects and rodents. This cat prefers habitats with dense underbrush and rocky areas for stalking, but can also live in open areas. The cougar is territorial and survives at low population densities. Individual territory sizes depend on terrain, vegetation, and abundance of prey. While large, it is not always the apex predator in its range, yielding to the jaguar, gray wolf, American black bear, and grizzly bear. It is reclusive and mostly avoids people.

Physical characteristics
Cougars are slender and agile members of the cat family. Adults stand about 60 to 90 cm (24 to 35 in) tall at the shoulders. Adult males are around 2.4 m (7.9 ft) long nose to tail and females average 2.05 m (6.7 ft), with overall ranges between 1.5 to 2.75 m (4.9 to 9.0 ft) nose to tail suggested for the species in general. Males typically weigh 53 to 100 kilograms (115 to 220 pounds), averaging 62 kg (137 lb). Females typically weigh between 29 and 64 kg (64 and 141 lb), averaging 42 kg (93 lb). Cougar size is smallest close to the equator, and larger towards the Poles. The cat's head is round and the ears erect. Its powerful forequarters, neck, and jaw serve to grasp and hold large prey. Cougars have large paws and proportionally the largest hind legs in Felidae. This physique allows it great leaping and short-spring ability. The cougar's top running speed ranges between 64 and 80 km/h (40 and 50 mph), but is best adapted for short, powerful sprints rather than long chases. It is adept at climbing, which allows it to evade canine competitors. Although it is not strongly associated with water, it can swim.

Cougar coloring is plain but can vary greatly between individuals and even between siblings. The coat is typically tawny, but ranges to silvery-grey or reddish, with lighter patches on the under body including the jaws, chin, and throat.

Infants are spotted, born with blue eyes and rings on their tails; juveniles are pale, and dark spots remain on their flanks. Despite anecdotes to the contrary, all-black coloring has never been documented in cougars. The term "black panther" is used colloquially to refer to melanistic individuals of other species, particularly jaguars and leopards.

Hunting and diet
Cougars are generalist predators and obligate carnivores. They like to prey on large ungulates, particularly deer, though they also eat smaller animals such as coyotes, porcupines, and raccoons. They usually hunt at night or during the gloaming hours of dawn and dusk. These cats employ a blend of stealth and power, stalking their prey until an opportunity arrives to pounce, then going for the back of the neck with a fatal bite. They will hide large carcasses and feed on them for several days.


Social structure and home range
Like almost all cats, the cougar is a solitary animal. Only mothers and kittens live in groups, with adults meeting rarely. While generally loners, cougars will reciprocally share kills with one another and seem to organize themselves into small communities defined by the territories of dominant males. Cats within these areas socialize more frequently with each other than with outsiders.

Male ranges may include or overlap with those of females but not with those of other males, which serves to reduce conflict between cougars. Ranges of females may overlap slightly with each other. Scrape marks, urine, and feces are used to mark territory and attract mates. Males may scrape together a small pile of leaves and grasses and then urinate on it as a way of marking territory.

Because males disperse farther than females and compete more directly for mates and territory, they are most likely to be involved in conflict. Where a subadult fails to leave his maternal range, for example, he may be killed by his father. When males encounter each other, they hiss, spit, and may engage in violent conflict if neither backs down.


Reproduction and life cycle
Cougars are solitary except during breeding. Males do not help raise cubs. Female cougars are fiercely protective of their cubs, and have been seen to successfully fight off animals as large as grizzly bears in their defense. Litter size is between one and six cubs; typically two. Caves and other alcoves that offer protection are used as litter dens. The cubs remain with their mother for up to 16 months at which they disperse to establish their own territories.

Life expectancy in the wild is reported at 8 to 13 years.

Distribution and habitat
The cougar has the largest range of any wild land animal in the Americas. Its range spans 110 degrees of latitude, from northern Yukon in Canada to the southern Andes. Its wide distribution stems from its adaptability to virtually every habitat type: it is found in all forest types, as well as in lowland and mountainous deserts. The cougar prefers regions with dense underbrush, but can live with little vegetation in open areas. Its preferred habitats include precipitous canyons, escarpments, rim rocks, and dense brush.


Wolf vs Cougar
Wolves are social predators operating in packs, and cougars are solitary ambush predators. They inhabit very different ecological niches and are able to spatially and temporally coexist, but the two species find themselves in occasional conflict. Wolves often chase and kill cougars and will raid their caches and usurp their kills and tend to dominate most conflicts, especially when the wolves are together as a group. Cougars avoid other animals if they can and typically yield to other predators in most conflicts. They will fight when cornered to defend themselves but otherwise try to avoid fighting. They will often escape up a tree, a cliff or into a cave where wolves are not likely to follow.

There have been cases where cougars were known to kill wolves, typically by ambushing a single wolf, but it's not common.

Originally from STP
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