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“Cougar, mountain lion, and puma are names for the same species, *Puma concolor*.”
The cougar — also called mountain lion or puma — is a large American wild cat with a plain tawny coat and a long heavy tail. It hunts deer in forests across the Americas and ranks as Least Concern.
Puma concolorCarnivoraFelidae
Browse photographs of cougar, mountain lion, and puma across habitat, behavior, anatomy, and life stages.
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Core article
A closer look at habitat, diet, behavior, reproduction, and conservation.
The cougar belongs to the genus Puma. Its scientific name is Puma concolor. It is a member of Felidae but does not roar like lions, tigers, or leopards; instead it screams, growls, and purrs. Genetically it is closer to smaller cats than to the roaring Panthera lineage that includes the tiger, jaguar, and snow leopard.
Common names vary by region — cougar, mountain lion, puma, panther, and catamount all refer to this species. “Florida panther” names a rare regional population, not a separate species. Adult coats lack the spots of leopards or the blotches of cheetahs; the plain tawny color suits shadowed forest and canyon habitats.
Adult cougars typically measure 3.5 to 5.5 feet (1.1 to 1.7 m) in body length, plus a long heavy tail of about 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 cm). Shoulder height often reaches 24 to 35 inches (60 to 90 cm). Weight commonly ranges from about 64 to 140 pounds (29 to 64 kg) in many areas, with large males sometimes topping 200 pounds (90 kg).
The coat is usually tawny, grayish, or reddish without adult spots. Powerful hind legs launch long leaps onto prey or rocky slopes, and the thick tail acts as a counterbalance. Fully retractable claws and silent padded feet support stalking. Large males may overlap ranges with bobcats and wolves, but cougars fill a different role as solitary deer specialists.
Cougars use many landscapes, but forest, woodland, and mountain cover are the broadest reliable habitats across their range. They also hunt along chaparral, canyon country, and grassland edges when prey and hiding cover exist. The species spans western Canada and much of the western United States into Mexico, Central America, and South America as far as southern Chile and Argentina; eastern North American populations are more limited after historic declines.
Connected habitat corridors matter because adults hold large territories. Dense day beds in thickets, caves, or ledges give cougars secure resting sites between hunts.
Cougars are strict carnivores. Deer are the classic staple in many regions, followed by elk, bighorn sheep, and other ungulates when available. Smaller prey — hares, raccoons, and rodents — fill gaps, and livestock may be taken where wild prey is scarce near ranches.
Hunting is solitary and ambush-based: stalk through cover, then a short explosive rush and a throat or nape bite. After a large kill, a cougar often covers the carcass with leaves or snow and returns for several days. Unlike pack hunters such as wolves, cougars rely on stealth rather than long pursuits.
Adult cougars are solitary outside brief mating encounters. Males maintain large territories that may overlap several female ranges and are advertised with scrapes, urine, and feces. Mothers alone raise kittens and may relocate dens if disturbed.
Cougars climb well and sometimes rest in trees or on rocky overlooks. They travel extensively at night and at dusk. Humans rarely see them, not because they are scarce everywhere, but because their preferred hunting hours and dense cover keep meetings uncommon.
Females can breed year-round in many climates, with local peaks in warmer seasons. After a gestation of about 82 to 96 days, the mother gives birth to usually 2 to 4 spotted kittens in a secluded den. Eyes open after roughly two weeks.
Kittens nurse for weeks, then share meat from the mother’s kills. Spots fade as they grow. Young often stay with the mother for 12 to 18 months while learning to stalk deer. Wild cougars commonly live 8 to 13 years; longer spans occur in human care.
(Population and conservation trend data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species)
The cougar is classified as Least Concern globally, yet the overall population trend is decreasing in parts of the range. Some regional populations — including the Florida panther — remain small and heavily managed.
Threats include habitat fragmentation, vehicle collisions, retaliatory killing after livestock losses, and reduced prey. Protecting forest and mountain corridors, reducing road mortality, and maintaining wild ungulate populations help cougars persist near human landscapes.
Cougar, mountain lion, and puma are names for the same species, *Puma concolor*.
Unlike lions, tigers, and leopards, cougars cannot roar — they scream, growl, and purr.
A cougar’s long thick tail helps it balance when leaping onto rocky slopes or prey.
Spotted cougar kittens lose most of their spots as they grow into plain tawny adults.
Cougars have the widest north–south range of any land mammal in the Western Hemisphere.
They often cache large kills under leaves or snow and return for several days.
Select a question to reveal the answer.
A cougar is a large American wild cat (*Puma concolor*) in the Felidae family. The same species is also called mountain lion or puma.
Yes. Mountain lion, cougar, and puma are common names for one species. “Panther” is sometimes used regionally for the same cat.
Cougars live in forests, mountains, and woodlands from Canada through the United States and Central America into South America.
They are carnivores that prefer deer and other ungulates, but also take hares, raccoons, and smaller mammals when available.
Adult cougars have a plain coat without rosettes or solid spots. Leopards are spotted climbers of Africa and Asia; cheetahs are open-country sprinters.
A baby cougar is called a kitten. Litters usually have two to four spotted kittens raised by the mother alone.
Cougars are listed as Least Concern overall, but some populations — such as the Florida panther — remain rare because of habitat loss and roads.
Attacks are rare. Cougars usually avoid people, but hikers in cougar country should travel in groups, keep children close, and never approach a wild cat.
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