It's All in the Eyes

 

Some of my grandchildren have been asking about the big cats, so January is going to be “Big Cat Month”. We have already met the Bobcat and Lynx. This post is about my favorite cat – the mountain lion. The mountain lion has many names depending on where you live. It is also called a cougar or puma. It’s scientific name is Puma concolor. They are found all over the United States. In fact, they have the widest range of any North American carnivore. They can be found in forests, deserts and mountain areas.

A carnivore is an animal that eats other animals – a meat eater. Mountain lions love to eat deer and other small mammals. They are skilled hunters and are considered an “apex predator”- the top predator in the area. They mainly hunt at dawn and dusk. When they are hunting, they are almost undetectable. You could walk right past one and never see it. When they do make sounds, they do not roar like lions and tigers. Mountain lions can purr.  Mothers often call their babies with chirps and whistles. They also have a scream that sounds almost human.

Adult mountain lions are 6-9 feet long (including their tail) with the females being a little smaller. They can weigh 250 lbs.! They have a light brown/tan fur (called a coat) with a long tail that helps them balance. They are capable of jumping 20 feet and can run almost 50 miles per hour! They have retractable claws like a housecat. This means they can pull them in and hide them when they want to. Usually, adult mountain lions spent their time alone, hunting in their territory. Momma mountain lions will keep their cubs with them for a year or so, but after that they are on their own too.

One of the most special things about the mountain lion is their eyes. While most other cats have the typical “cat eyes” with pupils (the dark part in the middle of the eye) that look like a slit (like your neighbor’s cat) the mountain lion has round pupils. Only a few other night hunting cats have eyes like these.  I think they make them look wise and intelligent. They are fun to watch in zoos, but in the mountains or forests, always remember to keep your distance because they are wild animals.

I hope you liked learning about these beautiful creatures. Until next week!

Love, Papaw.