Species account by Perrin Milliken, of Bowdoin College.
Puma concolor, known as the puma, mountain lion, cougar, or catamount, is the largest cat (family Felidae) found in North America. The only exception is the endangered jaguar (Panthera onca) which exist in limited mountainous areas of south-eastern Arizona in numbers that you can count on one hand.
Different cultures view pumas differently. Mystery, awe, fear, respect, and grace are all words that people associate with pumas. Our Round River group’s home base is the ghost town of Ruby, which is on Tohono O’odham ancestral land. The Tohono O’odham still live in the region and are the second largest federally recognized tribe in the US by land area. They call pumas “Mawith” meaning “flesh-eating beast,” while the Navajo, native to northern Arizona and Southern Utah revere pumas as providers that leave food for people after they make a kill.
Pumas are an apex predator in the southwest. However, in other regions where grizzly bears, jaguars, or wolf packs roam, pumas are subordinate carnivores. Pumas are large cats, 5-6 feet long with a 3-foot tail. They have consistent tan coloring with a black tipped tail and lighter underside. The kittens have spots, while the adults do not. They have long hind legs for leaping, large front paws, and relatively small heads. Pumas are solitary animals except for when they mate, and the mating cry is described as a “bloodcurdling scream.”
Pumas are also extremely adaptable. They have a wide geographic range and exist from western Canada, through the southwest US, and all the way down to southern South America. While they are fairly common animals in some places, these cats are rarely seen. They are stealthy creatures and are almost always successful at moving through their habitat unnoticed, no small feat for a 75-200 pound being.
Pumas are muscular and agile, and their slyness allows them to hunt by stalking their prey and catching the unlucky critters off-guard. They do not have good endurance, so they rely on their bursts of speed, sharp claws, and powerful jaws to make kills. Their diet mostly consists of deer, and they will kill 1 deer per week on average, returning to it multiple times to eat.
Pumas are a fixture of the southwestern ecosystem. We have yet to see one, although we may have already been seen by one. If we are lucky enough to spot one it will be a moment not easily forgotten.
Cover photo: Puma caught on Sky Island Alliance Wildlife camera tag @skyislandalliance.