Post by Gina on Oct 15, 2005 16:23:50 GMT -5
[Felis concolor]
HABITS AND HABITATS
Cougars are secretive, solitary hunters that feed primarily on white-tailed deer but will also eat smaller game such as opossums, rabbits, mice, and even insects if food supplies are limited. Cougars are skilled night hunters with excellent eyesight and superb hearing. They run swiftly, are agile climbers, and can even swim. Rather than simply chasing after their food, cougars prefer stalking their prey at close range, utilizing the element of surprise. At the last moment, a cougar may leap as far as 20 feet or more onto the animal's back. Strong jaws and long canine teeth then make it possible for cougars to kill their prey with one bite to the nape of the neck. After an initial feeding, a cougar may cover the carcass with leaves or other debris to be saved for a later meal. Cougars begin breeding at about 3 years of age and may mate during any season. Typical litters of 1 to 6 kittens are born after a gestation period of 82 to 98 days. Their eyes open in 8 or 9 days and the young are weaned in 2 to 3 months, though the kittens may remain with the mother into their second year. Cougars can occupy a variety of habitats from coastal swamps to mountain slopes. These large predators require extensive, undisturbed forested areas that also support adequate white-tailed deer populations.
HISTORY
Cougars were eliminated from most of eastern North America by the turn of the century due to habitat destruction, the decline of their main food supply - the white-tailed deer, and uncontrolled hunting and trapping. Cougars are still fairly abundant in some of the sparsely populated western states. Today the only known cougar species still found in eastern North America is the Florida Panther. They survive as a small remnant population in the remote, thickly wooded swamps of south Florida. It is thought that the Eastern Cougar, the species native to the southern Appalachian region, is now extinct in the wild. Although the last known cougars disappeared from our area during the 1800's, occasional, unconfirmed sightings are reported. Most of these sightings turn out to be other animals but some may be valid. It is possible, however, that these may be Western Cougars which have escaped or been released from captivity. Investigations are currently underway to determine the true status of this animal in our area. The cougar is officially listed as an endangered species in North Carolina. Since white-tailed deer, a primary food source for the cougar, have made a dramatic comeback, perhaps the cougar will soon follow.
MEET OUR COUGARS
The Nature Center is home to two cougars, a male and a female. Both of these animals were confiscated from individuals who were keeping them illegally as pets. The female, a hybrid Western/South American Cougar, came to us as a 7-week-old kitten. The male is a full-blooded Western Cougar and has been here since he was 14 months old. Both cougars are thoroughly imprinted on people and still show many playful, kitten-like behaviors. They are, however, essentially wild animals with deeply ingrained, predatory instincts. Attempts by people to make pets out of animals like these usually fail and should be strongly discouraged. If you like our cougars and find them particularly fascinating, you can adopt one through the Friends of the Nature Center.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The cougar is known by many names including the panther, puma, catamount, and mountain lion. Although once found throughout much of North America, cougars are now absent from many regions where they once were common, including western North Carolina.
DESCRIPTION
Cougars are large, muscular cats. They average 7 to 9 feet in total length of which up to a third is tail and weigh between 150 and 200 pounds when full grown. An adult cougar is tan colored with black coloration on the sides of it's muzzle, the backs of the ears, and the tip of the tail. Cougar kittens are mottled with black spots and have ringed tails until they are about 6 months old
HABITS AND HABITATS
Cougars are secretive, solitary hunters that feed primarily on white-tailed deer but will also eat smaller game such as opossums, rabbits, mice, and even insects if food supplies are limited. Cougars are skilled night hunters with excellent eyesight and superb hearing. They run swiftly, are agile climbers, and can even swim. Rather than simply chasing after their food, cougars prefer stalking their prey at close range, utilizing the element of surprise. At the last moment, a cougar may leap as far as 20 feet or more onto the animal's back. Strong jaws and long canine teeth then make it possible for cougars to kill their prey with one bite to the nape of the neck. After an initial feeding, a cougar may cover the carcass with leaves or other debris to be saved for a later meal. Cougars begin breeding at about 3 years of age and may mate during any season. Typical litters of 1 to 6 kittens are born after a gestation period of 82 to 98 days. Their eyes open in 8 or 9 days and the young are weaned in 2 to 3 months, though the kittens may remain with the mother into their second year. Cougars can occupy a variety of habitats from coastal swamps to mountain slopes. These large predators require extensive, undisturbed forested areas that also support adequate white-tailed deer populations.
HISTORY
Cougars were eliminated from most of eastern North America by the turn of the century due to habitat destruction, the decline of their main food supply - the white-tailed deer, and uncontrolled hunting and trapping. Cougars are still fairly abundant in some of the sparsely populated western states. Today the only known cougar species still found in eastern North America is the Florida Panther. They survive as a small remnant population in the remote, thickly wooded swamps of south Florida. It is thought that the Eastern Cougar, the species native to the southern Appalachian region, is now extinct in the wild. Although the last known cougars disappeared from our area during the 1800's, occasional, unconfirmed sightings are reported. Most of these sightings turn out to be other animals but some may be valid. It is possible, however, that these may be Western Cougars which have escaped or been released from captivity. Investigations are currently underway to determine the true status of this animal in our area. The cougar is officially listed as an endangered species in North Carolina. Since white-tailed deer, a primary food source for the cougar, have made a dramatic comeback, perhaps the cougar will soon follow.
MEET OUR COUGARS
The Nature Center is home to two cougars, a male and a female. Both of these animals were confiscated from individuals who were keeping them illegally as pets. The female, a hybrid Western/South American Cougar, came to us as a 7-week-old kitten. The male is a full-blooded Western Cougar and has been here since he was 14 months old. Both cougars are thoroughly imprinted on people and still show many playful, kitten-like behaviors. They are, however, essentially wild animals with deeply ingrained, predatory instincts. Attempts by people to make pets out of animals like these usually fail and should be strongly discouraged. If you like our cougars and find them particularly fascinating, you can adopt one through the Friends of the Nature Center.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The cougar is known by many names including the panther, puma, catamount, and mountain lion. Although once found throughout much of North America, cougars are now absent from many regions where they once were common, including western North Carolina.
DESCRIPTION
Cougars are large, muscular cats. They average 7 to 9 feet in total length of which up to a third is tail and weigh between 150 and 200 pounds when full grown. An adult cougar is tan colored with black coloration on the sides of it's muzzle, the backs of the ears, and the tip of the tail. Cougar kittens are mottled with black spots and have ringed tails until they are about 6 months old