Mountain Lion

Mountain lion, Puma concolor

The mountain lion, also known as the puma, cougar or catamount, is one of the largest extant cats in North America, second only to jaguars. It also has the largest range of any mammal in the Western Hemisphere, aside from humans, extending from British Columbia to Argentina. In the U.S., they are restricted to the western states and to the extreme southern tip of Florida; however, during the late Pleistocene, these cats roamed through much of North America. Recently, an analysis of mitrochondrial DNA recovered from modern and fossil individuals located throughout North and South America has suggested that the North American mountain lion population went extinct along with many other species at the end of the Pleistocene, and that the current North and Central American populations represent a recolonization of animals from South America (Culver et al 2000). 

Mountain Lion, captured by remote camera

Mountain Lion (Puma concolor) at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico. Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, taken by remote camera.

Order: 
Carnivora (Dogs, Cats, Bears, etc.)
Family: 
Felidae (Cats)
Statistics: 

Length: males 2.2-2.3 m (7.2-7.5 ft); females 2.0-2.1 m (6.6-6.9 ft)

Weight: males 55-65 kg (121-143 lbs); females 35-45 kg (77-99 lbs)

Status: 
Migrated