Species Introduction: Puma genus

Pumas are one of the world’s most resilient cats and valuable apex predators. They play a role in balancing the ecosystem from the top to the tip of the Americas. However, human encroachment is playing havoc with their natural habitats and threatens their survival.

What do pumas look like?

The puma is a relatively large wild cat, slightly smaller than the jaguar on average. The latter part of this animal’s scientific name, concolor (meaning ‘one colour), references the fact that most of its fur is a single shade. This colouration most often ranges from golden- or reddish-brown to pale tan and grey, with a paler underside. Conservationists have also reported a small number of black pumas. Pumas’ colouring varies according to their area; facial features also differ geographically. Their long tails are usually tipped with black and held close to the ground while walking. Puma cubs are spotted; however, these markings disappear with time.

Male pumas’ average weight is around 62 kilograms in North America, although some individuals can reach over 100 kilograms. Males reach about 1.2 metres long, excluding their 0.75-metre tail. Females average a weight of 42 kilograms. Females are slightly shorter. However, most pumas living on the Equator are somewhat smaller in length and stature than their northern and southern counterparts.

Where do pumas live?

#1 The preferred habitat

Pumas are amazingly versatile cats that have adapted to life in a wide array of environments. You can find them in shrublands, semi-deserts, mountains, rainforests, and savannah lands. However, South American mountain lions avoid lowlands and flatlands, as jaguars live in these environments. Pumas are smaller than jaguars; therefore, they prefer not to go head-to-head with these panthers for prey. Similarly, mountain lions usually yield to other large predators like grizzly bears, American black bears, and grey wolves. They also steer away from agricultural zones or other areas lacking cover to disguise them. Pumas make their dens under fallen trees, in rocky ledges, caves, or dense undergrowth.

#2 Their distribution range

Pumas have the most widespread distribution of any large cat or, in fact, any mammal in the Western hemisphere. You can encounter them anywhere between northwestern Canada and Patagonia, at the tip of South America. However, Chile has the largest population of pumas in the world. These cats live at low density, with typically only one to five cats inhabiting 100 square kilometres.

What do pumas eat?

Pumas primarily prey on ungulates – hoofed animals such as deer and guanaco – that are larger than them in most cases. However, they will also happily feed on smaller mammals if food sources are scarce. These include rabbits, hares, rodents, smaller wildcats, porcupines, beavers, raccoons, and foxes.

As humans have increasingly increased into wilderness areas, pumas have come into closer contact with domestic livestock. Faced with a readily available source of ungulates, pumas occasionally prey on these herds. However, the consequences of this human-wildlife conflict have been tragic, with many farmers killing these beautiful and vital cats in retaliation. While pumas are only occasionally killed by other predators in the wild, human beings remain their biggest threat.

After killing their prey, pumas often drag the carcasses to a secluded spot and cover it with leaves and other natural debris. This lowers the chances of their catch spoiling in the sun or being taken by predators. Nevertheless, many other animals benefit from leftover cougar catches. Pumas rarely feed on carcasses other than those they have caught, except in extreme circumstances.

Behaviour of Pumas

#1 How does a big puma cat live?

Pumas are mainly nocturnal, but they are also active at dusk and dawn. These cats travel around 10 kilometres a night, hunting in stages that involve roaming, stalking, resting, or waiting silently and motionless to ambush their prey. When they kill a large animal, they usually spend a few nights in the same area to feed on it. However, this is the only time other than during mating periods and the first 40 to 70 days after mothers give birth. Likewise, both males and females are solitary creatures, except for the breeding and cub-raising periods.

During their lifetimes, mountain lions move across vast areas. The average territory range for females is around 100 to 140 square kilometres, while males cover about double this. Female territories overlap fairly extensively, but males tend to stick within their own territories. On average, there are approximately two females to a single male in any given home zone.

#2 How do pumas reproduce?

Both male and female pumas are loners in adulthood, meeting solely to mate. These breeding rituals last one to six days and are accompanied by long, startling wails and screams. Pumas breed year-round. However, cub births peak in summer at higher latitudes where temperatures are colder. The average puma gestation period is 90 days, and most litters comprise around three cubs but ranges from one to six. Births fall roughly two years apart unless the cubs die or are separated from the mother early. In such cases, mating will often happen again much sooner.

Females raise their young in isolation from the males and remain with the cubs until they are around 10 to 26 months. At this point, the young mountain lions naturally disperse. However, many die in the following months when trying to fend for themselves. Furthermore, it can take up to a year until the youngsters enter the breeding population. If pumas make two years of age, they have a far better chance of full-term survival, which is, on average, 8 to 13 years in the wild. However, some individuals survive for up to 18 or 20 years.

#3 How does a wild puma communicate?

Pumas are unlike other big cats in that they cannot roar. They communicate in growls, hisses, purrs, and shrieks. To mark their territories, they use physical signals like defecation or claw marks, as well as pheromone emissions.

Puma population status

Scientists previously classified pumas in the Felis genus, along with many other smaller cats. However, in 1995 they were reclassified as Puma Concolor, with P. concolor being the only species in the genus. There are six subspecies of pumas, which are differentiated by size, colouration, and habitat. Five of these species are found exclusively in Latin America.

However, there is a small population of pumas in Florida. Conservationists consider the ‘Florida panther’ critically endangered, unlike most other mountain lions. Scientists estimate that there are approximately 50 pumas left in the wild. While their numbers are much healthier than those of other big cats, mountain lions face mounting pressures on their survival.

Endangerment - The biggest threats to mountain lions

Unlike most big cats in the wild, pumas have relatively healthy populations across a wide range. Fortunately for pumas, they have few predators in the wild. Mountain lions are occasionally killed by wolves or bears, most often over a prey dispute. However, their greatest threat is people by far.

Human encroachment into wilderness areas has led to habitat destruction for some puma populations. This has forced them out of their natural territories and, in many cases, brought them into closer contact with human beings. Consequently, they have fallen prey to poaching, hunting, road accidents, and environmental pollution. Low genetic diversity is also a risk for puma populations in remote locations.

Why the pumas are so important

Pumas are apex predators. Therefore, they balance ecosystems from the top down and are crucial to their health. A recent study published in Mammal Review traced pumas’ connections to other species. The researchers were amazed to find that these elusive felids support a web of life that involves almost 500 species.

The researchers concluded that 281 of these animals rely heavily on mountain lions for their food from leftover carrion. Others are linked to puma cats through behavioural patterns, for example, the fear effect, which is how predators can affect other animals simply by their presence.