These animals, which have to hunt with other creatures in the same habitat in nature, are mostly active at dusk, at night and at dawn. Contrary to all of their ferocity and size shy they exhibit behavior. For this reason, they take care to stay away from people. These animals, which rarely exhibit aggressive behavior towards humans, mostly hunt alone and only approach each other during the mating season.
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Cougars who managed to survive in nature with their excellent hunting skills; He is a good jumper, a skillful swimmer, and a successful climber. Due to the family they belong to, they can jump from a height of up to 18 meters without being damaged. These creatures, which feed on various animals, are the enemy of deer. Old and lost their ability to reproduce deer they eliminate. Thus, they enable the formation of younger and healthier deer herds.
What is Puma?
Native to North and South America, carnivorousis a predatory and mammal species. Felis concolor It is known by its scientific name. These creatures, which stand out with their highly agile body structures, are generally flat-colored and have manless and short hair. Their color can range from yellow-brown, silver gray or reddish brown. The colors of their fur can also differ according to the environment they live in. For example, while those living in hot and humid regions are dark red-brown; those in cold climates are closer to silver gray and lighter in color.
Cougars who prefer mountainous areas as their habitat, this thick their fur Thanks to them, they are protected from the cold. These wild animals, which resemble a female lion as well as a cat with their appearance, have flexible body structures. With their strong muscles and large claws, they can easily hunt even larger animals from time to time.
What Are The Characteristics Of Cougars?
Although the characteristics of the cougars, which are a predatory cat, are not well known, we almost do not hear the name of a world famous brand. We have listed the main features of this animal as follows:
- The most agile and those with the strongest body build.
- Pumas have mottled fur when their offspring are born. The spots disappear as the animal grows older.
- Their shoulder heights are between 60-70 santimetre.
- There are about seven species.
- It is among the animals that are firmly on the ground thanks to its large claws. For this reason, they are not easily noticed when approaching their prey.
- The places where they passed can be understood from the soil excavation they used to cover the remains and excrements from the animal they hunted.
- Although they are good runners, they can walk between 30-45 km a day thanks to their strong legs. Males can go further than females.
- Very fast While these animals are hunting 80 km per hour speed they can.
- Male cougars are larger than females. An average male cougar weighs around 100 kilograms, while females weigh between 50 and 55 kilograms.
- They can hunt animals up to three times their own weight.
- Hearing their abilities are developed.
- They can engulf the strong fingernails found in their paws.
- They can jump over a distance of 9-10 meters in one jump.
- Unlike other big cats, they cannot roar. Despite this, male and female voices are different.
- They are not considered big cats because they cannot roar.
- Similar to the human voice, they can scream occasionally.
- They mark the area where they live with their urine or feces.
- They wander alone outside of their breeding time.
- Female cougars make a terrible scream to call their mate during the mating season.
- To trees in case of danger they can climb This can be an opportunity for hunters to shoot them.
- Larger species are found far from the equator, in other words, in deep areas.
- Those living near the equator are smaller than those living in the north and south.
Cougars Body Structure
Some studies show that these animals are related to Miracionoxy, an extinct cheetah found in North America. But these animals belong to the family of cheetahs today. (Acinonychinae) not included.
Cougars rival the jaguar in size. Although the males are larger, they are approximately 130 santimetre in length and the females are 110 santimetre tall. In addition, there are tail lengths between 66-80 santimetre. They usually keep their tails, which turn black towards the ends, close to the ground while walking. Again in men 100 kilograms Females weigh around 50-55 kilograms, sometimes exceeding this number.
They have short coats and dense hair. The feathers, which can be of different colors, are almost white in the lower larynx and chest in almost all species. The hairs remaining on the lower parts of their body are always lighter. In the silver gray species, the larynx and chest always go white.
The nose is usually pink, but with a black frame; their small ears are pointed and their inner parts are black. These ears help them detect prey with good hearing even if they cannot see it in the dark. Their hind legs that are stronger and more muscular than their front legs to chase easily to long distances jumping gives ability. It özgü four fingers on its front paws and three fingers on its hind paws. Thanks to these, they are good at grasping objects.
It özgü wide eyes that allow it to not only see ahead, but also to see most things around it with improved vision.
Cougars’ Habitats
Cougars can live in both hot and cold climates; steppes, steppes, temperate-tropical forests, semi-deserts and approximate above sea level Mountains at an altitude of 5800 meters they prefer it as a living space. These creatures, which survive in places where people are scarce today, used to spread all over North and South America, which is a wide area that no other mammal can spread. Despite this, they have never been to Alaska and northern Canada.
Its areas in the past extended from Canada in the north to the south of Patagonia through Central America. The numbers of these creatures, which can easily adapt to their region, have decreased in their regions as a result of overfishing and human intervention in their natural habitats. In the rocky mountains of the USA (Rocky Mountains), in the semi-deserts of the southwest, Florida’s Everglades marshes With the protection measures taken for these animals, which face the danger of extinction in their surroundings, the spreading areas have started to be expanded again. They no longer hesitate to approach cities in the west of the USA.
Hunting in Cougars
Known for their exceptional strength and endurance, this carnivorous living beings mostly feed on deer. If deer started to multiply rapidly in the natural habitat, it should be known that the cougar population özgü decreased there. Cougars that eat almost every animal they find; Although he hunts animals such as sheep, goats, horses, pigs and cattle, he especially loves ponies. They also hunt small mammals, including hedgehogs, armadillo, rabbit, squirrel, raccoon and mouse. Apart from these, they also eat insects and birds.
These nimble hunters stalk their larger prey through bushes, between trees and rocky outcrops, then jump violently onto their prey thanks to their long and muscular legs. It usually kills its prey by biting it in the throat. Lots of bites it is strong. He covers the body with bushes so that he can later eat the big animals he caught and when he is hungry he comes back to him. It özgü also been seen that he attacks people, although rarely.
Sick and unprotected cougars can be food for bears, polar badgers and wolves. They can also be destroyed by some farm owners as they are blamed for loss of livestock.
Reproduction in Cougars
Female cougars Between the ages of 1-3 reaches sexual maturity. These animals, which are normally not vocal, are scary, which lasts for hours during the mating period. screams can throw. Females ready to mate leave scent on trees to let males know this. This union of cougars, who mostly live alone and only come together during the mating period, lasts about 1 week. Males who are not with the females during the pregnancy period leave the females a few weeks before birth.
They can breed in almost any season (especially from November to June). At the end of the pregnancy lasting for 3 months, pups weighing 250-400 grams with completely closed eyes are born. In one go 3-6 puppies It is born plural. Babies whose eyes are opened in 10-14 days have mottled fur. Females have a breastfeeding period of 1-3 months.
Mothers stay in closed areas (such as caves) where they can protect their babies after birth. After 6 weeks from birth, the young get used to eating meat and gradually tend to catch their own prey. The puppies’ stay with the mother can vary. Cougars, which breed every two years, can live for 8-13 years in the wild and up to 20 years in zoos.
Communication of Cougars with Each Other
They do not interact with each other outside of the mating season or unless they are raising offspring. But despite this, they are skilled in the art of communication. Marking with urine and feces they leave messages to each other with deep scratches and hollows on the trees. They do this in order to limit their territory. Apart from that, mothers, offspring, couples and enemies communicate with whooping, purring and screaming.
Are Cougars Endangered?
The total population of these animals classified as “Near Endangered” by the IUCN Less than 50,000 Although it still continues to decrease. In the wild, they are rarely hunted by other animals. Due to human hunting and occupation of natural habitats by humans generations is in danger. However, development in some regions özgü been enabled with the latest protection works.
Cougar hunting özgü been banned in many countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Honduras, Suriname, Venezuela, and Uruguay since 1996. In addition, in California, it is yasadışı to kill these animals unless it endangers a person’s life. But despite these, cougar deaths are increasing in this region.
Do Cougars Attack People?
Although they generally prefer unmanned areas and stay away from people, four cougar attacks on people a year have been recorded in the US and Canada. Most with death The victims of these attacks are children and adults who are alone near the animals. However, most of this happens because the animal feels threatened. Apart from these, rare cases of hunger also caused them to attack people.
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When these animals that stand out with their physical abilities and intelligence are encountered, the following can be done to protect them from them:
- Walk alone should not be allowed in environments with these animals because they tend to attack solitary people rather than groups.
- Running may not be the right action when faced with cougars that tend to chase running creatures because of their instincts.
- When the cougar approaches, it can be scared away by shouting or throwing things.
- Care should be taken in areas where cougars may be present. Like other cats, they like to rush to their prey by hiding.
Scientific Classification of Cougars
Realm: Animalia (Animals)
Branch: Chordota (Chords)
Class: Mammalia (Mammals)
Team: Carnivora (Carnivores)
Undercarriage: Feliformia (Cats)
Family: Felidae (Feline)
Subfamily: Felinae (Little cats)
Genus: Puma
