Why are mountain lions called painters?

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.

Texas mountain lion (2022)

Note: this page has been updated as at Sept 15th, 2022 and republished (see update below). Are there mountain lions ...
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How many mountain lions in California (2022)?

The 'experts' don't know exactly how many mountain lions are in California but they can make a decent guesstimate. That ...
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Fresh cougar tracks

by Carey Boyce (Central Oregon) Jemez River, NM 1995 While fly-fishing on the Jemez River in New Mexico, I entered ...
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Puma cat – all aspects with links to more

This is a leading or links page on the Puma cat. The links lead to other pages that expand on ...
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Puma hunting, feeding and social organisation – comprehensive coverage

This page discusses puma hunting feeding and social organisation. Cats generally are opportunistic predators. This means a wide range of ...
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Mountain lion tracks – detailed discussion and video

Here is a pretty full discussion on mountain lion tracks. It is from the standpoint of a person who loves ...
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Regular cougar sighting in North Carolina

by Ryan Rachman (North Carolina) I live in the state of North Carolina approximately 430 meters from the Peedee river ...
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Source: Cat World by Dr Desmond Morris.