Florida PantherNet - Official Education Site

Puma concolor once had the most extensive range of any mammal in the Americas (Busch 1996). It roamed historic and present cougar range

from the Yukon to the southern tip of South America and was well adapted to a wide range of environments: coniferous forests, deserts, mountains, and rain forests. To survive cougars have three requirements: cover; enough large prey, most commonly deer; and space. Water is rarely a problem for cougars, even in dry parts of the West. They get most of the water they need from the flesh of the animals they eat.

Cougars conceal themselves in steep canyons, behind rock outcroppings and boulders as well as behind trees and in underbrush. Cover is needed so the cougar can remain hidden while stalking its prey and as protection for its vulnerable kittens, especially when the female is away hunting. Space is needed to ensure abundant prey and for young adult cougars to establish territories of their own. Today in the U.S. cougars are found in only about half

thought question

Dennis Olson observes in his book Solitary Spirits, "The distribution of the cougar can be thought of as a general indicator of the health of the land." What do you think he means?

of their original range, primarily in sparsely populated mountain and desert regions in the western U.S. (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming) and in parts of southern Texas. The only cougar found east of the Mississippi River is the Florida panther.

Panther Range
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Physical Description