P. concolor
Family: Felidae
Sub-family: Felinae
Genus: Puma
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Habitat: The Americas
Cougars - also known as pumas, mountain lions, catamounts, Florida panthers, and many more names - are the second largest cat in the New World (after the Jaguar). Their habitat ranges from Canada to South America. Cougars were once found in nearly every part of the United States, but hunters, farmers, and ranchers eliminated them from nearly all of their range in the Midwestern and Eastern parts of the country - except for an isolated population of cougars in Florida.
Cougars are generalist predators, meaning they will eat almost anything they can catch. Cougars are also a keystone species, meaning they have an important role in maintaining the structure and health of their ecosystem.
They are solitary and shy animals, seldom seen by humans. While they do occasionally attack people—usually children or solitary adults—statistics show that, on average, there are only four cougar attacks and one human fatality each year in all of the U.S. and Canada.
