Mountain lion sounds – a full complement

Mountain lion travelling

Mountain lion sounds can be similar to those of our domestic cat but judging by the audio files below you might not believe it. Although the mountain lion (also called puma and cougar to name two alternatives) is a fairly large cat it has physical characteristics that are similar to small cats, which affect …

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The word ‘cougar’ is accidental so why are mountain lions called pumas and cougars?

Puma becomes a spoiled domestic cat and can't be returned to the wild

I’ll tell you why mountain lions are called mountain lions and why they are also called cougars and pumas (and painters). Mountain lions Columbus is one of the first to call this cat a ‘lion’ because of its tawny coat which resembles that of the African lion. Also, the name ‘lion’ or ‘león’ is …

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What is a catamount animal?

Puma climbing

The word “catamount” is an abbreviation of “cat of the mountain” or “cat o’ mountain” or even “cat a mountain”. In the past it was often used to refer to any wild cat species but today it is a fanciful name for the puma, which is more commonly referred to as a mountain lion …

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Why do mountain lions have so many names?

Puma

The reason is twofold. This famous wild cat species has a very wide distribution across the Americas although it is shrinking. Also, it has been recognised and recorded for many hundreds of years which has given widely disparate races and peoples time to write about it in their own way. The first reason is …

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Wild cat species in Michigan

Bobcat in Michigan

According to some “experts” there are possibly two wild cat species in Michigan: the Canada lynx and bobcat. The lynx is ‘possible extant’. However, sightings contradict this and it may be reasonable to assume that there are certainly two and possibly three wild cat species in Michigan at the date of this post: bobcat, …

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Tesla autopilot detects mountain lion running across road (video)

Tesla autopilot avoids puma running across road in Montana

Townsend, Montana, USA: This short video neatly sums up a lot about the relationship between America’s mountain lion (puma, cougar) and people. This iconic wild cat, which is so closely associated with America (but which is found in all the Americas), was eradicated from the entire eastern half of the U.S. because it was …

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