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Puma concolor
©NPS/ Dan Stahler
Reclusive and solitary, and mainly hunting at night, Cougars often go unseen despite their vast range across North America.
Habitat
Cougars can be found from Yukon south through western North America, through Central America, and throughout South America. They use a wide variety of habitats, including different forest types, deserts, and mountains.
Food
Cougars are strictly carnivores, hunting for deer and other similar large animals. However, they will also take smaller prey such as rodents.
Behaviour
An ambush predator, Cougars will leap onto the back of prey from rocks, trees, and other high points, and then deliver a deadly neck bite. After, they will drag their kill to a preferred site, cover it, and return to feed over several days. The range of Cougars can be anywhere from 25 km2 to 1300 km2 (10 sq. mi to 500 sq. mi). Overall solitary, only females raise the young after mating, having litters of one to six cubs who stay with the mother for one to two years. While no other animals prey on adult cougars, they can have conflicts with other large predators. Grizzly Bears, Black Bears, and Gray Wolves, will sometimes chase Cougars off their kills.
Conservation
Cougars overall are of least conservation concern today, outside of a Florida population that is listed as endangered. In fact, they are making a return to areas they once inhabited, such as central and eastern North America. Hunting of Cougars is regulated in several countries, while others prohibit hunting outright.
