Cougars: Facing the Facts Common names Cougar, mountain lion, puma, panther, catamount Scientific name Puma concolor, meaning “cat of one color.” The cougar is a member of the cat family, cats have short faces, relatively small rounded ears, and retractable claws. Size An adult cougar’s body length ranges from 42-54 inches with tails nearly 3 feet long (a third of the lion’s total length). Adults range from 26-31 inches tall at the shoulder. Weight Adult males can weigh up to 200 pounds, adult females up to 120 pounds, and subadults approximately 40-60 pounds. Color Cougars vary in color from reddish-brown to tawny to gray with a black tip on their tail. Kittens have black spots. Range/Habitat In Washington, cougars prefer rocky terrain, steep slopes and cliffs, rimrock, dense brush and semi-open forests — essentially the same general range as its prey species, the deer, elk, mountain goat and wild sheep. Abundance Over 20,000 cougars are thought to live in the Western United States, of which 2,500 are estimated to inhabit Washington. Food Cougars are carnivores, meaning they eat mainly meat. Their diet consists primarily of deer and elk. Mountain goat, wild sheep, moose, coyotes, porcupine, raccoons, beaver, hares, rodents, and occasionally, domestic animals all supplement their diet. Cougars will cache uneaten portions of their kill or cover it for later consumption, but will not eat spoiled meat, as bears will. Habits Cougars are primarily crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk) and secretive animals. Adults, particularly the males, roam widely often covering a home range of 75-100 square miles. The lions are territorial and will “mark” their territories by urinating on scratch piles. They den in rock outcroppings, dense thickets and under uprooted trees.

Life span Cougars 8-12 years are considered old, yet they may live up to 20 years. Breeding Cougars breed for the first time between 2 and 3 years of age. They are polygamous, meaning individuals may breed with several different cougars. The bond between male and female is short-lived and the male cougar plays no role in raising the kittens. A female’s gestation period is 88-97 days (about 3 months). The animals normally breed every other year and during no particular breeding season. Young Females usually give birth to two kittens, but litters may range from one to six kittens, and may be born any month of the year. Newborns are 8-12 inches long and weigh less than a pound. Kittens remain with their mother for a year and a half.

Previous Section	Next Section