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.
Source: Cat World by Dr Desmond Morris.
Thanks Adrian. Interesting.
Jane Ann Phillips uses the same name in her Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Night Watch, set in West Virginia during the Civil War.
My pleasure Julia and thanks for taking the time to earn 10C for an animal charity! ๐๐
Thank you for the explanation. Iโve always heard the name used for big American cats but never certain of the origin.