There is a simple reason why mountain lions are called painters. ‘Painter’ is a local American name for the puma (Felis concolor). Many early white settlers to America referred to the puma as the American panther. The word ‘panther‘ was corrupted to ‘painter’. In many rural districts of the mid-western and eastern US this became the usual pronunciation.

The name ‘painter’ for the puma was made famous in 1913 when James Whitcomb Riley wrote: ‘Yes – and painters, prowlin’ ’bout,/ Allus darkest nights. Lay out/ Clost yer cattle. – Great, big red/ Eyes a blazing’ in their head…’

The mountain lion has the most names of all the wild cat species.

Tesla autopilot detects mountain lion running across road (video)

Townsend, Montana, USA: This short video neatly sums up a lot about the relationship between America's mountain lion (puma, cougar) ...
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Can pumas be white?

In 2020, there is no evidence that pumas can be white but this may change in the future ...
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Picture of mountain lions roaming American suburbia during Covid-19 lockdown

This is an interesting picture from Reddit.com which reminds me of those end of world films in which nature and ...
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Is the puma a big cat?

Whether or not the puma (mountain lion) is a member of the big cat group is a matter for debate ...
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How many pumas are left in the world 2020?

The answer is one that is typical of any of the wild cat species; we really don't have accurate information ...
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What is the largest mountain lion on record?

There will be a dispute about this but I believe that I have a definitive record for the largest or ...
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Do pumas eat snakes?

Having read the entirety of the section on the feeding ecology of pumas (mountain lions) in the best book on ...
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Source: Cat World by Dr Desmond Morris.