As of 2017, P. c. cougar was recognised as being
valid by the Cat Classification Taskforce of the Cat Specialist Group. P. c. costaricensis had been regarded as a subspecies in Central America.[6][7]
The North American cougar has a solid tan-colored coat without spots and weighs 25–80 kg (55–176 pounds).[8] Females average 50 kg (110 lb), about the same as a
jaguar in the
Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve on the Mexican Pacific coast.[5]
Habitat and distribution
The North American cougar lives in various places and
habitats.[8] Several populations still exist and are thriving in the
western United States,
Southern Florida, and
western Canada, but the North American cougar was once commonly found in eastern portions of the United States. It was believed to be extirpated there in the early 1900s. In Michigan, it was thought to have been killed off and extinct in the early 1900s. Today there is evidence to support that cougars could be on the rise in Mexico and could have a substantial population in years to come. Some mainstream scientists believe that small
relict populations may exist (around 50 individuals), especially in the
Appalachian Mountains and eastern Canada.[9] Recent scientific findings in hair traps in
Fundy National Park in New Brunswick have confirmed the existence of at least three cougars in New Brunswick.[9] The Ontario Puma Foundation estimates that there are currently 850 cougars in
Ontario.
The
Quebec wildlife services also considers cougars to be present in the province as a threatened species after multiple DNA tests confirmed cougar hair in lynx mating sites.[10] The only unequivocally known eastern population is the critically endangered
Florida panther. There have been unconfirmed sightings in
Elliotsville Plantation, Maine (north of
Monson) and as early as 1997 in
New Hampshire.[11]
Sightings in the United States
Reported sightings of cougars in the United States continue today, including in locations of their former range where they are considered extirpated.
In Southern Minnesota there have been a few sightings by deer hunters; the Department of Natural Resources has verified 14 cougar sightings since 2007. [14]
In 2011, a cougar was sighted in
Greenwich, Connecticut, and later killed by an SUV in
Milford after allegedly travelling 1,500 mi (2,400 km) from South Dakota.[15]
On April 14, 2008, a cougar triggered a flurry of reports before being cornered and killed in the Chicago neighborhood of
Roscoe Village while officers tried to contain it. The cougar was the first sighted in the city limits of Chicago since the city was
founded in 1833.[16]
According to the
Michigan Department of Natural Resources, there were fifteen confirmed cougar sightings in the state in 2020 and, as of October, there had been ten confirmed sightings in the
Upper Peninsula in 2021. The Department said that the steep increase in sightings may be attributable to the proliferation of
trail cameras.[18]
On September 26, 2015, a hair sample was submitted by a hunter in
Carroll County, Tennessee; DNA analysis indicated it was a female with genetics similar to cougars in South Dakota.[19]Bobcats in this state currently reside in regions that were once roamed by cougars.
Genetic analysis of DNA from a cougar sighting in Wisconsin in 2008 indicated that a cougar was in Wisconsin and that it was not a
captive animal. The cougar is thought to have migrated from a native population in the
Black Hills of
South Dakota; however, the genetic analysis could not affirm that hypothesis. Whether other, perhaps breeding, cougars are present is also uncertain. A second sighting was reported and tracks were documented in a nearby Wisconsin community. Unfortunately, a genetic analysis could not be done and a determination could not be made.[20] This cougar later made its way south into the northern
Chicago suburb of
Wilmette.
On June 3, 2013, a verified sighting was made in
Florence County, Wisconsin. The cougar was photographed by an automatic trail camera, and confirmed by
DNR biologists in October, 2013.[21]
In December, 2020, two sightings, one verified, were made in Dane County, in and around
Stoughton, Wisconsin. The cougar was photographed by an individual, and confirmed by the
Wisconsin DNR.
In November 2021, a DNR representative told
WDJT-TV that the Department confirms about 15 cougar sightings per year in the state.[22]
While the origins of these animals are unknown, some cougar experts believe some are captive animals that have been released or escaped.[23]
Ecology
A cougar in the snow at North Cedar Brook in
Boulder, Colorado, the USA
The North American Cougar is a
carnivore and its main sources of prey are deer, elk, mountain goats, moose and bighorn sheep. [24] Despite being a large predator, the North American Cougar can also be the prey of larger predators like
wolves and bears.[25] The North American cougar usually hunts at night and sometimes travels long distances in search of food. They are short distance sprinters and can remain hidden for hours to surprise unsuspecting prey and pounce when they least expect it.[24] They use their strong jaws and large canines to puncture the neck of their prey, breaking the neck and efficiently killing their prey. They also grab their prey by the throat to suffocate it.[24] It is fast and can maneuver quite easily and skillfully.[7] Depending on the abundance of
prey, such as
deer, it shares the same prey as the
jaguar in Central or North America.[26]
Other
sympatric predators include the
grizzly bear and
American black bears.[27] Cougars are known to prey on
bear cubs.[28] Cougars in the
Great Basin have been recorded to prey on
feral horses,[29] as well as
feral donkeys in the
Sonoran and
Mojave Deserts.[30]
Rivalry between the cougar and grizzly bear was a popular topic in North America. Fights between them were staged, and those in the
wilderness were recorded by people, including
native peoples.[31]
The North American Cougar plays an important role in regulating ecosystems as a large predator. The presence of the cougar as a predator prevents the overpopulation of herbivorous prey, like deer, in an ecosystem. Overpopulation of prey can result in the destruction of vegetation and biodiversity in an ecosystem.[24]
Reproduction
Adult male cougars can breed with multiple female cougars any time of the year, however the peak breeding season is in the months of January and August. When cougars are two years old, they reach the level of sexual maturity. The breeding process does not last a long time and after the male and female cougar mate, they separate. After mating, the male cougar plays no further role and the female cougar bears the full responsibility of raising its young. The average litter size is three cubs and each of the babies weigh a little over a pound. Cougars will breed until they occupy territory. Cougars have a 92 day
gestation period allowing the breeding process to continue throughout the year.[24]
The primary causes of the declining population of cougars is due to hunting and loss of habitat.[25]Sport hunting and loss of territory reflect the most significant threats upon the cougar extinction status. Most of the cougars’ prey is found near humans. Whether it be through sport hunting or through the protection of livestock, humans kill cougars purposefully. Though there is evidence of indirect killings through vehicle collisions, the intentional human impact is drastic. Humans continue to affect the declining cougar population through the occupation of their habitats. Cougars tend to occupy areas that are prime for development and expansion. From mountains to deserts, humans utilize the cougar territory to build new sites and structures for human enjoyment.[32] As a consequence to the construction, cougars lose their habitats.
Even though conservation efforts of the cougar have decreased against the "more appealing" jaguar, it is hunted less frequently because it has no spots, and is thus less desirable to hunters.[7]
Despite the declining population of cougars, the extinction of the North American Cougar is not seen as a large concern.[25] In
Oregon, a healthy population of 5,000 was reported in 2006, exceeding a target of 3,000.[33] California has actively sought to protect the cat and has an estimated population of 4,000 to 6,000.[34] With the increase of human development and infrastructure growth in California, the cougar populations in the state are becoming more isolated from one another.[35]
A 2012 study using 18 motion-sensitive cameras in
Río Los Cipreses National Reserve counted a population of two males and two females (one of them with at least two cubs) in an area of 600 km2 (0.63 cougars per 100 km2).[36] The
Bay Area Puma Project aims to obtain information on cougar populations in the San Francisco Bay area and the animals' interactions with habitat, prey, humans, and residential communities.[37] A study on wildlife ecologists showed that urban cougar populations exist around the
Los Angeles metropolitan area, with individuals of these populations having the smallest home ranges recorded for any cougars studied, and being primarily nocturnal and not crepuscular (most likely adaptations to avoid humans in high-density areas).[38]
Communication and behavior
Cougars are intelligent animals that rely on strategy when it comes to various means of survival. Through scent, noises, and posture, cougars communicate with each other to exchange messages. Each message depends on how the cougar delivers the sound. If a cougar growls or hisses, other cougars understand a threat is present. The ‘caterwaul’ is a screeching sound made by female cougars during the mating season when competing males are present.[24] Cougars use various methods to signal and communicate with each other. When cougars perceive a looming threat or danger nearby, they lay their ears back and either maintain eye contact or retreat to a less visible location in preparation to attack.[39]
^
abKitchener, A. C.; Breitenmoser-Würsten, C.; Eizirik, E.; Gentry, A.; Werdelin, L.; Wilting, A.; Yamaguchi, N.; Abramov, A. V.; Christiansen, P.; Driscoll, C.; Duckworth, J. W.; Johnson, W.; Luo, S.-J.; Meijaard, E.; O’Donoghue, P.; Sanderson, J.; Seymour, K.; Bruford, M.; Groves, C.; Hoffmann, M.; Nowell, K.; Timmons, Z.; Tobe, S. (2017).
"A revised taxonomy of the Felidae: The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group"(PDF). Cat News (Special Issue 11): 33–34.
^Davidson, Rick (2009).
"NH Sightings Catamount"(PDF). Beech River Books. Archived from
the original(PDF) on October 7, 2009. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
^"Cougar Management Plan". Wildlife Division: Wildlife Management Plans. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2006.
Archived from the original on June 30, 2007. Retrieved May 20, 2007.