Overview

The mountain lion — also called cougar, puma, panther, or catamount — is the largest cat in the Americas and one of the most wide-ranging mammals on Earth. Solitary and elusive, it patrols territories spanning hundreds of square kilometres from the Canadian Yukon to the tip of Chile.

Unlike lions, mountain lions cannot roar. They scream, chirp, and purr, and hunt deer, elk, and smaller prey with a suffocating bite. A glimpse of a tawny form crossing a trail at dusk — or a track in snow — is often all most people ever see.

Habitat

Mountain lions occupy almost every habitat in the Americas: Rocky Mountain forests, Arizona desert, Florida swamps, and California chaparral. They need deer or equivalent prey and cover for stalking, and are expanding eastward in some US states.

Countries found

Mountain Lion in United States

Interesting facts

01
Mountain lions have the largest range of any wild mammal in the Americas.
02
They can leap 5.5 metres vertically from a standing start.
03
A mountain lion may consume one deer per week.

Conservation status

LC — Least Concern

Mountain lions are Least Concern globally but face hunting pressure and habitat fragmentation in the US. California and Florida populations are protected; western states allow regulated hunting.