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 The
mountain lion is the largest North American Cat. It is also known
as a puma, cougar, and catamount. Sometimes it is also called
the “ghost cat.” This is because
most people never see this animal in the wild. Mountain lions
are solitary, secretive and elusive. In fact, even field biologists rarely see mountain lions.
They can be found in the U.S. and
Canada.
Mountain lions are usually 1 to 1.6 meters long.
The tail is about 60 to 85 centimeters
long. They weigh around 62 kilograms.
The mountain lion is the only large species of cat that purrs. They make little noise
in the woods. When they do,
they often sound like a person whistling or a bird chirping.
 Mountain
lions are powerful predators. They usually hunt at night. Their favorite prey is deer. They also eat smaller
animals such as coyotes, porcupines, and raccoons.
Mountain lions are solitary and shy animals. And they require a lot of room ? only a few lions can
survive in a 78-square-kilometer range. They are seldom seen by humans. But sometimes they
attack people. So, when you
see a mountain lion, don’t go near it!
Mountain lions once lived nearly all over the U.S.
But so many of them were killed by hunters. By the early 20th Century, not many
mountain lions were left in the Midwest and Eastern U.S. Today, mountain lions are
endangered. |
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