Few people decide to buy a puma kitten for home keeping. The graceful predator is considered one of the most powerful representatives of the cat family. She needs a responsible and caring owner who can tame a wild cat and teach her to obey. If you decide to buy a puma, an animal, the price suits you, then the specialists of the EkzoticZoo nursery will help you choose a kitten born in captivity, which will be easy to domesticate. Our cubs are raised in the best Russian and European nurseries, from the first days of life they are in close contact with people and feel comfortable in captivity.
The bewitching grace of the most beautiful predator
Puma - American wild cat. The animal lives mainly in South and North America, choosing high mountainous areas and grassy plains for living. The cougar easily adapts to new environments, which explains its popularity among breeders and exotic pet lovers. Today, among people who are thinking about which animal is worth buying for their home, the puma, as a quiet and calm animal, almost always takes the position of the sales leader. In its habitat, the cougar is second in size only to the jaguar.
Characteristic Features This type of cat is:
- body length – from 120 to 170 cm;
- tail length – 40-50 cm;
- the height of an adult cat is 60-75 cm;
- weight – up to 100 kg;
- males are always larger than females;
- the fur is uniform, gray-reddish, lighter on the neck and chest, darker on the tail brush and ears;
- the body is flexible, the hind legs are more massive and muscular than the front;
- Life expectancy is on average 20 years.
Kittens are born spotted. Up to 4 months their eyes blue color. As they grow older, the color lightens and becomes one tone, and the iris turns yellow.
EkzoticZoo managers will tell you how much a puma cat costs in rubles. The company's clients are provided with consulting support that allows them to create the most suitable conditions for life in captivity for exotic animals.
Lifestyle of a domesticated puma
In its natural habitat, the cougar is a solitary animal. The puma looks for a mate only during the mating season. The predator marks its territory with scratches on rocks and trees, as well as with secretions. If you are planning to buy a puma kitten for your home, then immediately keep in mind that in captivity a mountain lion, as this cat is also called, will behave the same way.
Little kittens are playful. They make good contact with people, but from the first months of life they often strive to demonstrate a leadership character. Adults are more reserved. During the day they like to sleep and bask in the sun; in the evening their activity increases significantly - it’s time to hunt. Therefore, you should buy a cougar or an animal whose price is affordable for you to place in a separate room or outdoor enclosure. Otherwise, the cougar will not give rest to the owners, will irritate with night noise and interfere with rest.
Where to place a cougar
To make the animal feel safe and able to spend time actively, it is recommended to build a spacious cage for the fast and jumping predator. The area of the enclosure should be at least 30-40 m², taking into account the size of an adult cougar. The building must have high walls and a roof. A house is built inside where the puma can hide in bad weather. A feeder and drinking bowl are installed inside the enclosure.
When people search for information on the Internet using the query “buy puma animal price,” the search engine produces a lot of data not only about nurseries and the cost of the animal, but also about the intricacies of keeping a savage. The Cougar needs to constantly move to develop its physical capabilities and mental abilities. To do this, logs and platforms made of boards are installed in the cage, on which the animal can jump. Can also be hung car tire, buy durable balls or rubber dice. The puma loves water, so installing an artificial pond, with the ability to close it for the winter, would not be amiss.
What to feed a puma at home
If you want to buy a puma kitten, you should immediately study information about the feeding habits of the animal. Predators hunt mainly elk, medium-sized deer, bighorn sheep, and antelope. The cougar also does not disdain small animals: raccoons, beavers, squirrels, sometimes lynxes become prey for a large cat; it is able to catch up with an ostrich and grab a bird in a jump in flight.
At home, the menu is more modest, but it must include:
- meat of several types;
- live food;
- fish.
On average, a puma eats about 1,300 kg of meat per year. It is sometimes necessary to give the cat the opportunity to hunt - to let rabbits, quails, and mice into the pen. The animal is fed once a day, with one fasting day every week.
The owner of a puma should take care to enrich the diet with vitamins. Particularly important are vitamins A and E, calcium, as well as vitamin D, which is synthesized by the body in the sun. The drinking bowl is always kept filled with fresh water.
Where to buy a puma kitten
To make a purchasing decision, it is not so important how much a cougar costs and how the cat is used to living in the wild. The main thing is whether the future owner will be able to pay enough attention to her, fully take care of her predatory pet, and properly organize her nutrition and training. Only a well-bred puma will delight its owners for a long time with its calm disposition and will not pose a danger to the owner in direct contact. How much does a puma cat cost? The price of a healthy individual raised in a nursery starts from 230,000 rubles.
The cost depends on several factors:
- age – an adult puma is more expensive than a kitten;
- gender – females are more expensive than males;
- species - the rarer the subspecies is found in nature, the higher its price.
If, according to an advertisement to buy a puma, the animal offers you a cheap price, you should not agree. Perhaps the animal was caught illegally, which means its sale and purchase is prohibited by law. In addition, a low price may indicate poor condition or illness of the animal.
Are you dreaming of buying a puma, do you like the animal and are you happy with the price? Contact EkzoticZoo! We offer domesticated wild cats with official documents and CITES permit. Healthy puma kittens are an excellent option for an elite gift for a person who, it would seem, has nothing to surprise him with. This is an animal that inspires admiration and will become the crown jewel of a home zoo.
A prominent representative of the cat family is the puma or mountain lion. This cat lives only on the American continent. The animal inhabits all of South America. IN North America it lives in Mexico, as well as in the western mountainous regions of the United States and Canada. In the east of the mainland, the puma lives only in Florida, representing a very small population.
Currently, there are 6 subspecies of this cat, and 5 of them live in Latin America. The North American subspecies lives in North America. Argentina has been chosen by the Argentine mountain lion. The Costa Rican subspecies is very small in number, as it cannot compete with jaguars. The northern South American subspecies is found in Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and northern Brazil. There are also eastern and southern South American subspecies. They differ from each other in color and physique.
Appearance
The puma or mountain lion is a large cat and is second in size only to the jaguar, which is also an inhabitant of the American continent exclusively. In general, among the large predatory cats mountain lion takes 5th place. It gives way to the tiger, African and Asiatic lions, as well as the already mentioned jaguar.
The height at the withers of the animal ranges from 60 to 90 cm. The body length from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail in males is about 2.4 meters. Females are smaller. Their length does not exceed 2 meters. The tail has a length of 65 to 95 cm. The weight of males ranges from 55 to 100 kg. Average weight about 63 kg. Ladies weigh from 30 to 65 kg. Average weight is 42 kg. That is, the fair sex is more graceful and inferior to the stronger half by 20 kg.
The smallest sizes are pumas that live near the equator. The animals living in the northern regions of America are distinguished by the most powerful physique. The largest mountain lion was shot in Arizona. His weight reached 125 kg. In British Columbia, there were cougars that weighed 95 kg.
The puma has a round head and small erect ears. There are five claws on the front paws and four on the hind paws. The claws are retractable, and the hind legs are more massive than the front ones. The color of adult predators is uniform. Coat color can vary not only among subspecies, but even between siblings. It can be dark yellow, silver-gray or red. The lower part of the body is lighter than the upper. On the throat and lower jaw the fur has a whitish tint. The same color next to the black stripes under the nose - in those places where the mustache grows. The tail ends with a black tip. The iris of the eyes is light brown.
Newborns have blue eyes. The body is covered with dark spots, and the tail is decorated with dark rings. With age, the spotted skin changes to a solid color. Dark spots sometimes remain in the abdomen and legs. There are mountain lions with white fur, but black pumas, unlike jaguars and leopards, do not exist in nature.
Thanks to its powerful hind limbs, the puma has excellent jumping ability. The animal's jumping height reaches 5.5 meters. The cat can jump 12 meters in length. When running, it reaches speeds of up to 70 km/h. But on long distances never runs, preferring a quick and short throw. Excellent climber on rocks and trees, swims well. In a word, the animal is ideally adapted to life and hunting, both in mountainous areas and on open, flat terrain.
Hunting
The cat hunts at night. The animal's diet is very varied. Any living creature, regardless of size, falls into the fanged mouth. The mountain lion eats birds, insects, and does not disdain fish. But the main diet is, of course, the meat of deer, elk, horses, and wild sheep. Ungulates make up 95% of the predatory cat's diet. The size of the victim does not frighten her. The puma jumps on the back of the ungulate, breaks its neck or strangles it with its powerful jaws. The prey is usually dragged to a secluded place. He eats some, and hides the remaining meat, covering it on top with leaves, branches or snow.
The animal returns to its reserves regularly. Usually a large elk or deer lasts a cat for 10 days. A female, burdened with cubs, goes hunting once every three days. The mountain lion does not eat carrion or living creatures killed by another animal. But I enjoy hunting livestock. Moreover, he often slaughters sheep and goats all in a row, although he can only take one victim with him. The predator does not disdain its brothers belonging to the cat family.
Cougars live in splendid isolation. Each male and female has its own territory. For representatives of the stronger sex it reaches 50 square meters. km, sometimes much more. Ladies are not distinguished by such scope. Their holdings are usually limited to 20-25 square meters. km. The boundaries are indicated by urine and feces. Mountain lions hunt on their lands. They try not to wander into foreign territory to avoid conflicts. They unite in pairs only during the mating season. This is a very short period of time - no more than 10 days.
Reproduction and lifespan
Females reach sexual maturity at the age of 3 years. They have one litter every 2-3 years. Pregnancy lasts 3 months. The expectant mother makes a lair in a cave or some kind of stone niche. Usually 2-3 cubs are born. Sometimes there is 1, and at times as many as 6 babies. They are born blind. Milk feeding lasts 3 months. Upon reaching this age, the cubs begin to go hunting with their mother. From 6 months they try to hunt small animals on their own.
Young cougars live with their mother for up to 2 years. Just by this time, their skins “lose” their spots and acquire a uniform shade. Males leave their mother earlier, females later. The stronger sex goes as far as possible from the maternal territory and tries to create its own plot of land. This often results in conflicts with other males. In this case, young animals often die. From one litter, as a rule, only 1 cub survives. Young females do not move far from their mother’s land and try to find land for themselves closer to their parent.
A cat lives in wildlife on average from 8 to 14 years. In captivity, pumas live up to 20 years. In the USA, there was a case where one female lived to be 30 years old. This long-liver died in 2007. This is possible with proper care and attention to the animal from humans. Timely provision of medical care is also important.
Enemies
The mountain lion's enemies include a grizzly bear and a jaguar. True, it must be said right away that a clubfoot does not pose a great threat to a predatory cat. Rather, the puma itself can feast on the cubs if the bear is gaping. But the jaguar is a dangerous adversary. This powerful and strong beast very fierce and aggressive. It can easily kill a young cougar. This predator also represents serious competition in the hunt.
Man has always mercilessly shot the mountain lion, as it posed a threat to livestock. However, this did not greatly affect the population, but not in all subspecies. If we talk about cats living in Florida, today there are only 87 of them. In total, about 30 thousand pumas live in the western regions of the United States and Canada. In general, the population of the species is not of concern to people. Those subspecies that are small in number are protected by law.
This graceful animal is included in the Guinness Book of Records due to the fact that it has much more titles than other animals. Just on English language it can be called differently more than 40 times.
It's about O cougar, cougar, mountain lion and red tiger. This graceful animal is very secretive and intelligent, it is not for nothing that the cougar is a character in many myths and legends.
“Strength and power”, this is how the word “puma” is translated. However, poor ecology, drainage of swampy areas and hunting have led to the fact that the predator is on the verge of extinction and is listed in.
Features and habitat of the cougar
The cougar's range is the most extensive of all the mammals that inhabit America. In this parameter, only the redhead can compare with the puma, forest cat and leopard.
This animal is a symbol of the Wild West and inhabits the continent from Canada to the southernmost point of South America. Plains, forests, mountainous areas, wetlands - these beautiful predators can be found everywhere. Depending on their habitat, the color of cougar fur and their diet may vary.
Mountain lion (cougar) one of the largest representatives of the cat family, surpassed in size only by the jaguar. The average length of a male wild cat is approximately 100–180 cm, however, some animals reach two and a half meters from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail. At the withers, its height is from 60 to 75 cm, the tail is approximately 70 cm long. It should be noted that female pumas are 40% smaller than males.
The smallest predators live near the equator; closer to the poles they become much larger. On a strong massive body Cougar Cougar there is a small head with small ears. However, like representatives of most predators, animals have powerful fangs 4 cm long, with which they can cope with dangerous enemies and prey.
The hind legs of the animal are more massive than the front legs. The large and wide feet have sharp claws, which the animal can retract at will. Thanks to its agility, the cougar can perfectly climb any trees, move through mountainous and rocky terrain, and swim.
The predator can make jumps up to 120 cm long, more than six meters high, and over a short distance the animal’s speed can be up to 50 km per hour. The tail helps maintain balance when running.
Cougars are especially active at night and in the early morning. Only cougars have a uniform color. Individuals that are in the north - gray shade, residents of tropical regions - red.
The underside of the animal’s body is lighter than the top, the belly and chin are almost white, but the tail is much darker. There are black markings on the muzzle. The predator's fur is short, but hard and thick.
Character and lifestyle of a cougar
Cougar may be active around the clock, but in daytime usually prefers to rest and begins hunting after dark. The puma is a quiet animal and can be heard very rarely; it makes loud calls only during the mating season.
Usually, major representatives felines can attack a person, however, the cougar, on the contrary, tries to hide. An attack occurs only if the animal feels its life is in danger.
mountain cougar has great patience. If he falls into a trap, he remains calm and tries to find a way out of the situation. If it is not found, the cougar may fall into a stupor and not move for several days.
In nature, the cougar has no enemies. However, in the northern regions they have to meet with brown and wolves, in the south with jaguar, and in Florida with the Mississippi alligator. Wolves and jaguars can pose a threat to life only for aged or small pumas.
Nutrition
Ungulates are the main food of cougars. Elk, deer, and caribou make up the main menu of the animal. However, the cougar does not disdain fish, rabbits, wild pigs, turkeys, mice, alligators, frogs, coyotes, lynxes, and other cougars. If necessary, it can feast on snails or even insects.
The patient animal camouflages itself well and when attacked, the victim simply does not have time to escape. If the prey is large, the cougar silently approaches it, jumps and breaks its neck. Doesn't play with food, prefers to eat immediately.
This is facilitated by sharp claws and teeth, which easily tear tissue and break bones. A cougar is capable of killing an animal whose weight is three times its own. The cougar hunts not only on the surface of the ground, but also in the branches of trees.
In search of prey, it can move long distances. If a cougar manages to kill a large animal, the predator can feed on it for a week. If the opportunity presents itself, the cougar can attack domestic animals, even cats and dogs.
In this case, there are usually much more victims than the predator needs for food. During the year, one cougar eats from 800 to 1200 kg of meat, which is approximately 50 ungulates. Interesting fact that the puma hunts only on its own and will never eat an animal that was killed by its competitor.
Reproduction and lifespan
Cougar is an animal wild. But, at the same time, the habits of the puma are in many ways similar to those of an ordinary domestic cat. Constant loneliness replaces mating season, which can begin in both winter and spring. This is due to the female’s estrus and characteristic cries.
As a rule, especially developed males have their own territories with clear boundaries. These areas are marked with urine, excrement and claw marks on tree trunks. It is within these limits that pairs usually form.
Animals mate for no more than a minute, but there are up to nine such processes in an hour. Mating games are very intense and last up to two weeks. After this, the male leaves his beloved.
Cougar pregnancy lasts just over three months. On average, 3–4 kittens are born. The cubs' eyes open on the tenth day. The first teeth begin to appear and the ears open. After 6 weeks, the young animals are already tasting the meat.
Cohabitation with the mother lasts up to two years, after which young cougars begin their personal lives. Like most cats of this species, the puma cougar lives up to 15 years. In zoos and nurseries this period increases to 20.
Despite the constant hunt for these predators, their population is not in danger. Today buy a cougar You can even do it online, where you can find a lot of offers.
Far from our country, in America, there lives a wild cat, which is included in the Guinness Book of Records as a mammal with the maximum number of names. Mountain lion, deer tiger, silver lion, cougar, panther - there are more than 40 names in English and as many more in the indigenous languages of the two American continents. In our country this predatory animal is better known as the puma. The caution, cunning and wild beauty of the puma have attracted people's attention since ancient times. And sometimes pumas are even tamed and kept as pets, although this is not safe - the instincts of a predator can at any moment take precedence over good manners and affection for the owners.
History of the discovery of the species
Puma refers to predatory mammals cat family. In Latin, its designation sounds like puma concolor, where puma is the name of the cat, coming from the language of the American Quechua Indians, and concolor is translated as monochrome and reflects the monochromatic color of an adult animal - silver (in the northern regions) or reddish (in the southern regions). Close relatives of the puma are the jaguarundi and the extinct cheetah Miracinonyx from North America. Despite its considerable size, the puma is one of the small cats that cannot growl due to the complete hardening of the hyoid bone.
Jaguarundi is a small predatory cat, the closest relative of the puma
One of the first descriptions of the puma was made in 1553 by Pedro Cieza de Leon, a Spanish traveler and geographer, in the book Chronicle of Peru. This book can be considered the first encyclopedia on the geography, botany and zoology of South America.
Indian tribes paid a lot of attention to these animals, but in different ways: the Incas saw pumas as associated with the deity of sky and thunder, the Apaches considered their cries to be harbingers of death, and among the Cherokees, pumas were a sacred animal and were inviolable. The name puma was often included in a person's complex name to give him strength and agility.
The Spaniards, who came to the South American continent at the end of the 16th century, experienced problems with pumas: they happily hunted large cattle, and the Indians forbade the destruction of predatory cats. Even a whole bull as a gift for a killed puma could not change the opinion of the local population. The Indians hung the claws of the beast in their homes, thus driving away evil spirits. And about the sacred animal’s hunting of livestock, they said this: “The puma is a poor child who has taken the wrong path.”
The beauty and grace of the puma delighted settlers of the New World for many centuries, and its agility and cunning made them constantly fear this beautiful predator.
In ancient times, the living space of cougars was very extensive: from southern Alaska to the Strait of Magellan. After the conquest of America by white people, pumas were hunted everywhere, first to protect livestock, and then for the sake of beautiful skins and meat. They even gave a bonus for the killed individual. And only in the 20th century, when predators were on the verge of extinction, hunting for pumas was prohibited and numerous reserves appeared.
Now the puma species includes 6 subspecies, differing in size and color. Cougars live in the mountainous regions of North and South America, on plains, and less often in forests and swampy areas.
Description of the puma
The puma is a fairly large predator; in America it ranks second in size, after the jaguar. However, different subspecies differ in size - the smallest ones live closer to the equator, and the largest ones live closer to the poles. A powerful physique with massive hind legs allows the puma to make long (up to 10 meters) and high (up to 2.5 meters) jumps and develop short distances significant speed (up to 50 km per hour).
External data: color, eye color and anatomical features
The length of a puma without a tail can be from 100 to 180 cm, and its weight can be up to 100 kg. Females are about a third smaller than males in size and weight. The height of the animal at the withers is 60–80 cm. The body is powerful, but flexible, reminiscent of a lion. The body is elongated, the legs are low, the hind legs are more massive than the front ones. The paw pads are wide, equipped with retractable hook-shaped claws, the hind ones have 4 toes, and the front ones have five. Such claws allow the puma to climb trees well, as well as hold prey, and wide paws help to move effectively in the snow. The well-furred, strong and long tail gives it balance during outstanding jumps.
A puma is able to overcome a huge chasm with a graceful leap.
The head is small, small erect ears are round in shape, the nose is large and wide. Expressive eyes are brown or golden in color, often beautifully outlined with a dark line, as are the nose and mouth. The teeth are well developed; the age of the animal is determined by their preservation and color. The canines are used to capture prey, and the incisors are used to destroy tissue and bones of the victim.
The puma has a beautiful face with natural makeup and a calm gaze
The puma's fur is thick, short and hard, the color is uniform grayish-brown, dark yellow or red, but with tints: on the stomach, throat and chest it is lighter than on upper parts body, there are black spots on the face, the ears are darker than the main color, the tip of the tail is also dark. Interestingly, the colors of cougars are very similar to the color of their potential victims - deer.
The cubs have much thicker fur, softer and fluffier, covered with spots and stripes, with rings on the tail, and blue eyes.
In puma cubs, the eyes are blue for up to six months, then gradually fade to yellow or brown.
Character
The puma is known for its secretive, quiet and non-conflict character, but it has plenty of courage and bravery. Cougars have been known to fight and defeat grizzly bears and alligators. Moreover, she will not miss the opportunity to feast on their meat.
These predatory cats are excellent at hiding and successfully avoiding humans, which makes their study for scientific purposes problematic. Cougars do not show aggression towards people, except when they behave threateningly or interfere with hunting. They usually attack at night or at dusk, but can also go hunting during the day.
Unlike many large cats, cougars rarely attack humans, preferring to avoid them. From 1890 to January 2004, approximately one hundred attacks were reported in the United States and Canada, the vast majority of which occurred on Vancouver Island alone. The victims were predominantly children or short people, and the attacks occurred at dusk or at night. Cougars can easily develop an attack reflex if a person moves quickly and is alone.
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The Cougar has a fair amount of patience. If a tiger, having fallen into a trap, goes crazy and may even bite off its paw, then the puma will calmly and persistently try to free itself, and if it fails, it may sit motionless for several days.
Pumas move well in trees and are able to catch a bird or monkey there
Cougars lead a solitary lifestyle and do not interact with members of their own species. They specially mark their personal territory and do not allow other cougars into it. Moreover, the area of the puma’s property can be tens or even hundreds of square kilometers. Moments of communication for mountain lions occur only during the mating season, and for females also during cohabitation with the cubs. By the way, disputes regarding the boundaries of territories occur extremely rarely - cougars prefer good neighborly relations. They spend their entire lives alone in their hunting territory.
Young animals that do not yet have a personal area and adult animals that have lost their possessions due to the rapid activity of people are called “transit individuals.” They are forced to travel in search of free territory that will become their new home. They try to overcome foreign lands faster, without getting into fights or laying claim to them.
Lifestyle
The puma can live in various areas: in the mountains and on grassy plains, in forests and steppes, even in wetlands, the main thing for it is the possibility of successful hunting in this territory. The puma perfectly jumps, runs, climbs trees and mountain slopes, does not freeze in the snow and swims well. Cougars' personal territories can be huge, especially for males - up to 700 square kilometers. In winter, the puma makes its den in one place, and in summer in another. She marks the boundaries of her possessions with the help of scratches - scratches on trees and the ground, as well as urine and droppings, and other cougars try to quickly move away from this piece of land after noticing such marks.
Puma hunts at night. During the day, she most often sleeps in her den or on a tree. But hunger can force her to go hunting even during daylight hours. True, in this case the process becomes much more complicated, since the deer constantly scan the area in search of danger and often manage to take off before the predator jumps. The most good time for hunting - a moonless night, because the puma sees in the dark 6 times better than a person.
Cougar food
At dusk, the puma comes out in search of food. It attacks from ambush, jumps on the victim's back and tries to immediately bite its neck. Classic prey for pumas are ungulates, such as elk, deer, guanacos, and bighorn sheep. Their share in the puma’s diet is more than half.
The main food for carnivorous cats is different kinds ungulates
The predator can attack livestock and even cats and dogs, for which American farmers strongly dislike it. It does not disdain smaller prey: coyotes, foxes, rabbits, squirrels, gophers, hares, mice, birds, fish and even insects and snails. However, the cougar has a tendency to kill more animals than it can eat.
Natural intelligence allows the cougar to cope with an armadillo, porcupine, snake or skunk. The puma does not like to swim, but at the same time it swims well and can catch fish.
The puma hides the remains of its prey in bushes, grass or snow, trying to completely cover the meat. Sometimes vultures specifically watch it from above and eat the carcass as soon as the puma leaves. In addition to vultures, foxes, coyotes and many other animals can do this, since the cougar is a link in their food chain. Moreover, the Indians did the same in ancient times - they found cougar hiding places and took the meat for themselves.
The puma has significant strength and endurance and is capable of dragging a dead victim over a long distance, the weight of which is 5 times the weight of the puma. The buck kills approximately one deer per week, and feeds on the stored carcass for several days while staying nearby. But if the meat is found and eaten by other animals, then he has to start hunting again.
In a year, a cougar eats about a ton of meat, which is approximately 50 ungulates.
The mountain lion itself never eats meat obtained by other animals. It feeds only on its own victims.
Reproduction and care of offspring
Sexual maturity of female cougars occurs at 2.5 years, and for males at 3 years. The mating season takes place twice a year - in winter and summer. Only at this time are cougars ready to allow a representative of their species to approach them. The male searches for the female in her territory and for 7–10 days they live together, mating and hunting together.
During the mating season, cougars live and hunt together for 1–2 weeks
Then the male leaves and continues his search, his biological task is to fertilize as many females as possible. He does not return and does not take any part in caring for the cubs. And in case of pregnancy, the female makes a den for herself in the rocks or between the roots of trees.
During the mating period, cougars lose their silence and composure: males arrange fierce fights with wild screams among themselves, and females emit loud screams similar to human ones.
Most cubs are born in January and August. The female's pregnancy lasts about 9 weeks, the number of kittens in the litter is two or three, very rarely four or five. Babies are born blind and completely helpless, the weight of a newborn kitten is from 200 to 500 grams, body length up to 30 cm. Initially, the color of kittens is clearly spotted, it begins to gradually fade from 3 months of age. Only by the age of one and a half years the spots completely disappear and the color becomes uniform like the mother’s.
The fur color of babies is dark, with spots all over the body - for camouflage from other predators
Kittens' eyes open at about 14 days of age, at which time they begin to actively crawl and explore their home. Puma milk is very fatty and has a high calorie content, so the babies’ weight quickly increases. At 2 weeks of age, the cubs begin to develop their first teeth, and they begin to eat meat at approximately 6 weeks.
From 6 weeks of age, puma kittens begin to eat meat, which is brought into the den by a caring mother.
First, the female hunts near the den, trying not to leave the kittens alone for a long time. But as the cubs grow up, she goes further and further, and from the age of 2 months, she takes the kittens with her to hunt and begins to teach everything she knows.
The social life of cougars is limited to their childhood and adolescence, when they live with their brothers and sisters, play and hunt together.
After a few more months, the mother leaves the kittens, and they are forced to begin an independent life. The cubs stay together for some time, but then disperse and look for free territory for themselves. This is quite difficult, because adult cougars, defending their hunting grounds, at best drive away, and at worst kill, young relatives. Moreover, males have a more difficult time than females: they conflict with everyone, and it is young, inexperienced cougars that most often attack livestock and people.
The spots on young cougars fade with age and disappear completely by 1.5–2 years.
Lifespan in the wild
The average lifespan of pumas in the wild is 10 to 15 years; in zoos, pumas can live up to 20 years. IN natural environment pumas rarely die of old age, the most common causes of death are fights with relatives, wounds received during hunting, illness, hunger, as well as human activities: the destruction of pumas, changes in the habitat of animals, cars and other factors.
Other features of the view
The population density of cougars ranges from 1 to 12 animals per 80 square kilometers.
In nature, pumas have virtually no enemies. In northern regions, it can compete for prey with wolves or brown bear, in the south - with a jaguar, and in Florida - with a Mississippi alligator. A jaguar is quite dangerous for a puma and will most likely win in a direct confrontation, so the puma tries not to enter into conflict with it. The puma rarely encounters bears, since they feed not only on meat, but also on plant foods, but wolves, huddled in a pack, are capable of killing the puma. In turn, she can kill and eat a lone wolf that has strayed from the pack.
Often predators do not risk contacting adult cougars, and may even lose their prey to them, but puma cubs are a welcome delicacy for them. Therefore, most heroic battles with other predators go to females protecting their kittens.
Protecting the cubs, the female can engage in battle with any enemy and defeat him: there are known cases when a puma coped with a bear and an alligator
Video: Puma in the wild
Puma habitat and role in the ecosystem
Cougars are found in North and South America. In North America, these animals are preserved mainly in mountainous regions in the west, and in South America they are quite widespread. Eyewitnesses claim that the cougar is still found in Quebec (Canada) and Vermont (USA).
By modern classification, based on genetic research, there are 6 subspecies tied to geographical areas:
Puma concolor couguar - North America (from southern Canada to Guatemala and Belize);
Puma concolor costaricensis - Central America (Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama);
Puma concolor capricornensis - eastern South America (from the southern coast of the Amazon in Brazil to Paraguay);
Puma concolor concolor - northern part of South America (Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Guiana, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia);
Puma concolor cabrerae - central part South America (northeast Argentina, Uruguay);
Puma concolor puma - southern part of South America (Chile, southwest Argentina).
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The rarest cougar in the world is called the Florida cougar or Puma concolor coryi. It is listed in the Red Book as an endangered species - now there are only 150-200 individuals in the world, and active work is underway in Florida to preserve and restore the population of the Florida puma. The rapid disappearance of the subspecies occurred due to the active drainage of swamps, which are the habitat of Florida cougars, pollution environment and sport hunting of these animals.
Florida cougar is different small in size and dark red fur, as well as a curved tail tip
In South and Central America, there is evidence of the discovery of white and black pumas. However, upon closer examination of these cases, it turns out that black cougars are dark brown or only certain parts of the animal’s body are painted black (muzzle, chest). White pumas (albinos) most likely do exist, as do many other predator species.
Settlers to the New World starting from mid-19th centuries, mountain lions were exterminated en masse as they slaughtered their livestock. In addition, humans have significantly changed the habitat of wild animals, as a result of which the number of tailless deer, the main prey of pumas in North America, has decreased. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were very few pumas left, and after another 60 years, several subspecies practically disappeared.
Recently, the eastern puma Puma concolor cougar was declared extinct in the United States, since for many years this species has not been encountered by humans, even in the inaccessible mountainous regions of North America.
Unreasonable human activity has upset the balance of North American ecosystems, and the first to feel the consequences are the same farmers. For example, overly proliferated armadillos, which were previously actively eaten by pumas, dug numerous holes into which domestic cows and horses constantly fell, broke their legs and died.
Nowadays, white-tailed deer have proliferated in North America, becoming a nuisance to local ecosystems.
White-tailed deer are the main prey of mountain lions
Deer eat vegetation, including that where songbirds live, causing their numbers to decline. This is just one of many examples of a violation of the natural balance. Experts in the field of biology and ecology are calling for restoring the balance of North American ecosystems by reintroducing pumas and dholes into the wild (these animals, like cougars, are on the verge of extinction).
Life of a puma in captivity
Nowadays, it has become fashionable to keep wild animals in homes, including predatory cats. Pumas are no exception, and on the Internet you can find offers for the sale of cubs, as well as reviews and videos about keeping pumas in captivity.
A puma in the house often behaves like an ordinary cat
But having decided to take such a step, you need to understand that living together with a puma will not be easy; this will require a special room or enclosure, expensive food, veterinary support and much more. In addition, even a tamed puma remains a wild animal, obeying natural instincts, so no one can guarantee complete safety for other pets, as well as for the owners themselves. Adult pumas cannot be tamed, so we are talking only about cubs.
As for zoos, cougars are found there very often, exist and reproduce safely. They are widely represented in our Russian zoos.
Features of care
Naturalists who have studied the puma claim that it is quite suitable for the role of a pet and gets along well with cats and dogs living in the house, but it cannot resist hunting birds. Therefore, if there are chickens, ducks or geese on the farm, the owner of a cougar freely roaming around the yard will have to come to terms with the periodic loss of the bird. Puma kittens are fed milk and boiled meat, cereals and vegetables they eat only if cooked in meat broth.
Small pumas are fed milk, then gradually transferred to boiled, and then to raw meat
As pumas grow older, they switch to raw meat. The predator eats approximately 2 kg raw meat in a day, the best option is beef. If you don't give your cougar meat, it will get sick.
Like many other cats, before eating raw meat, the cougar licks it, and after eating it thoroughly washes itself and sleeps for several hours.
The cougar needs to be given plenty of water, as well as fresh grass or special vitamin supplements, which the veterinarian will recommend.
The behavior of puma cubs in the house does not differ from ordinary kittens; they play a lot, especially with moving objects, communicate with other pets, and are affectionate towards people. At the same time, small spotted pumas look very funny and attractive. They can make interesting sounds, more like chirping birds than meowing. Being in good mood, cougars can purr like cats, snort out of fear, and grumble out of irritation.
Puma cubs are similar in character to regular kittens, they also love to play and become attached to their owners
A puma can and should be taken out for walks on a leash; this gives it the opportunity to be in its natural environment - a forest or park. A grown-up puma should be transferred to an enclosure, since an adult animal will cause a lot of problems in a house or city apartment. More suitable for the life of any predatory feline a private house or a cottage with a large fenced area and equipped enclosures.
The puma feels good being in a spacious outdoor enclosure or walking around the yard, but in an ordinary apartment she is bored and cramped
The cougar will patiently endure procedures for caring for its fur, ears, eyes and claws only if it has been accustomed to them since childhood. The puma's claws are long and sharp, so when keeping the animal in the house, they will have to be trimmed regularly.
Video: cougar in a city apartment
Number and protection of pumas
Thanks to active work to preserve cougars as a species, hunting them is now limited or prohibited in most countries. True, despite the prohibitions, people still exterminate pumas because they hunt livestock. The rarest and smallest species are placed in nature reserves, such as the Florida puma - the only subspecies listed in the Red Book with the status of “critically endangered”. The fact is that the forests of Florida continue to rapidly disappear and local cougars cannot exist normally and bear offspring. Therefore, people create reserves in which they control the life and reproduction of cougars using special radio transmitters placed on the animals’ bodies. Now scientists are actively working on crossing the Florida cougar with other subspecies. If these attempts are successful and the species can be restored, then cougars will be introduced into other American states.
The largest reserve where Florida cougars live is called Big Cypress National Preserve and is located in the swamps and forests of the south American state Florida
Three subspecies of puma are listed in CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora): coryi, costaricensis, couguar. The efforts of people led to the fact that this moment The puma population in North America, which almost completely disappeared in the 20th century, is about 30,000 individuals and is gradually spreading to the east and south. Cougars reproduce well and are able to live in various natural areas, so they are not yet in danger of extinction. In South America, pumas were not hunted as actively, so they are quite widespread there.
Photo gallery of the view
Wide paws allow the puma to successfully move through snowdrifts Thick fur saves the cougar from the cold in frosty puma cubs always have spotted coloring to camouflage themselves from predators The puma’s favorite method of attack is an unexpected jump from an ambush The look of the puma is distinguished by dignity and royal grandeur In nature, the puma drinks less, than at home, since part of the liquid is obtained from the blood of victims. The puma jumps better than all other predatory cats. Like domestic cats, the cougar likes to climb into suitable-sized containers. Most often, the puma brings 2-3 kittens. Puma kittens have bright colors and cute faces, causing people want to have such a cute creature at home
Nature has generously endowed mountain lions with strength and agility: they easily climb trees and are able to jump from a height of several floors without consequences, they swim well and know how to fish, they can gracefully overcome a huge abyss and catch up with a running ostrich. The main enemy of this predator is man, who over two centuries has exterminated most of the pumas living on the planet. Now people have come to their senses and are taking numerous measures to restore the species. Let's hope that everything will work out and pumas will once again occupy their natural niche in North and South America.
Puma is the only meowing cat among big cats. It ranks second in size among cats, after the jaguar, on the American continent. This animal is adapted to different conditions life, that's why he lives in different climatic conditions and on different landscapes.
Habitats of pumas in the wild
Once upon a time, the puma lived in various parts of America, both in the southern and northern parts. The cougar's range was the most extensive of any mammal living on the continent. Although pumas now live in the same regions as before, their numbers have decreased significantly than in old times. The reason for the disappearance of pumas from their former places of residence was their mass extermination by humans. As a result of the brutal extermination of pumas, some subspecies, such as the Florida cougar, are still endangered. Read more about the puma in the article:. 
The mountain lion is found in dense forests and grassy plains, in mountainous areas and in lowland wetlands from the Yukon (Canada) to Patagonia in Argentina and Chile, and also lives in the United States. The habitat of the puma quite accurately coincides with the habitat of its main prey - deer. The main criterion for an area where pumas live is the abundant availability of food and suitable places for shelter.