Puma concolor

A large cat with an elongate body, powerful limbs, small head, short face, short rounded ears, and long neck and tail; two color phases: buff, cinnamon, and tawny to cinnamon rufous and ferruginous, and silvery gray to bluish and slaty gray; young are buffy with dark spots, and the eyes are blue for the first few months; color of upperparts is most intense midorsally; sides of muzzle and backs of ears are black; underparts are dull whitish with buff wash across the belly; end of tail is dark brown or blackish; adult total length 171-274 cm in males, 150-233 cm in females; adult tail length 53-81 cm; mass 36-120 kg in males, usually 29-64 kg in females; greatest length of skull 172-237 mm in males, 158-203 mm in females (Nowak 1991, Hall 1981, Maehr 1992, Wilson and Ruff 1999).

Differs from the jaguarundi in much larger size (maximum total length of jaguarundi is 137 cm). Differs from the lynx and bobcat in having a much longer tail (less than 25 cm in bobcat and lynx). Differs from other cats in lack of spotting in adult pelage. Young mountain lion differs from the ocelot in having the spot not arranged in rows or chainlike streaks. See Hoffmeister (1986) for cranial differences between mountain lion and jaguar.

Now associated generally with mountainous or remote undisturbed areas. May occupy wide variety of habitats: swamps, riparian woodlands, broken country with good cover of brush or woodland. Beier (1993) determined that habitat areas of at least 2200 sq km are needed to ensure long-term population persistence; protection of corridors for immigration is highly desirable. Young are born in secluded places among rocks or dense vegetation (e.g., see Beier et al. 1995, Bleich et al. 1996).

Primarily solitary in some areas, extensive overlap of home ranges in other areas (see Pierce et al. 1999). In Idaho, mutual avoidance maintains density of breeding adults below level set by food supply.

Annual home range varies greatly in different areas (13-1454 sq km); home range of male (generally 200 to several hundred sq km) averages larger than that of female (Kitchener 1991; Pierce et al. 1999; see also Hansen 1992 for interstate comparisons of home range size). See Beier et al. (1995) for information on movements in the Santa Ana Mountains, southern California. See Laing and Lindzey (1993, J. Mamm. 74:1056-1058) for information on replacement of individuals on vacated home ranges in Utah.

Density usually not greater than 3-4 adults per 100 sq km (8-10 per 100 sq mi) (Kitchener 1991).

Annual mortality rate in an unhunted population in Utah was 26%, over 50% in resident adults in a hunted population in Montana (see Hansen 1992).

Gestation lasts about 82-100 days. In the Northern Hemisphere most births occur in April-September, may occur throughout the year in Arizona. Litter size is 1-6 (usually 2-3). Young are weaned after 2-3 months. First reproduction usually occurs at 2-3 years. Young remain with mother for 1-2 years. Usually 2 years between litters (sometimes 1 year if litter does not survive). In the wild, probably few live beyond 10 years.