| Cougar, Eastern | |||
| Genus | Felis | ||
| Species | concolor | ||
| Subspecies | couguar | ||
| Status | Endangered | ||
| Habitat | In the United States, the eastern cougar lives anywhere from mangrove swamps to hardwood forests. It can also live in both desert and snow, but needs wooded areas for shelter. | ||
| Distribution | Eastern North America | ||
| Length | 65-100 inches (165-254 cm) | ||
| Weight | 80-225 pounds (36-102 kg) | ||
| Behavior | The eastern cougar, like all cougars, is a very secretive animal, living alone except when breeding or when the female has her cubs. | ||
| Diet | Deer, procupine, , muskrat, raccoon | ||
| Conservation |
When North Americans began spreading throughout the country, they cleared the land and killed all the cougars they sighted in the forests. Later, farmers and ranchers shot more of these animals because they were thought to be dangerous to people and livestock. By the 1860s, scientists thought that the eastern cougar was extinct.
In the 1940s, there were a few sightings of the eastern cougar. People claimed to have seen it and its tracks in Canadian forests. It was then given full protection as an endangered species, but no one can be certain this big cat is still alive. Fewer than a dozen skins and skulls of this animal still exists in museums. These are not enough to judge with certainty what makes them different from other cougars. Many people are now beginning to wonder if the eastern cougars recently seen were really western cougars. All cougars have a similar coloring (light brown or yellow to gray), small heads, and long tails, making it difficult to tell the two species apart. | ||
| Interesting Facts |
Cougars are the second-largest member of the cat family in North America (the jaguar is the largest).
The eastern cougar may be extinct in Canada. The cougar is also known by some other names: puma, mountain lion, and panther. Cougar fur is soft and short, but those that live in northern regions have longer fur. | ||
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| Animal Communication Panel | |||
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