What is the difference between mountain lions and cougars

Sam Ellis. You hear the names thrown around all the time. Are there any differences at all? Cougars are well known for having many different names, and each of these names refers to the same species of large cat. This begs the question: where did these different names come from? How and where did they originate? Despite essentially being named after the jaguar, cougars are a separate species from jaguars.

The jaguar is the largest cat in the Americas, while the cougar is the second largest. Cougars are not related to lions, as they belong to the Puma genus. Actual lions belong to the Panthera genus. Sometimes cougars are referred to as panthers, but in fact, panthers belong to an entirely different genera. The exception to the species rule is the Florida panther.

Found in a small region of the Florida panhandle, these so-called panthers are actually a member of the puma genus, making them a subspecies of cougar and one that is actually endangered. So, aside from scientific classifications, what sets panthers excluding Florida panthers and cougars apart? The cougar is a carnivore, which means it requires meat in its diet, but it will eat any animal it can catch, from insects to large hoofed mammals.

Its primary prey are various deer species — including mule and white-tailed deer, elk and even moose — while other food bases can include bighorn sheep, horses and domestic livestock like cattle and sheep. Oh, and they'll go after other predators, too, to reduce competition and feed themselves to boot. The cougar is capable of breaking the neck of some of its smaller prey with a strong bite, and then with momentum, bearing the animal to the ground. Kills are generally estimated at around one large mammal every two weeks, while females raising their young may kill every three days.

The cat commonly drags a kill to a preferred spot, covers it with brush and returns to feed over several days. The cougar generally is a non-scavenger, meaning it rarely consumes prey it hasn't killed.

Of the 20 subspecies of cougar, three are considered endangered : the Florida panther Puma concolor coryi , the Eastern puma Puma concolor couguar and the Costa Rican puma Puma concolor costaricensis. Mountain lion populations have historically been hunted out of fear of the animals killing ranchers' livestock, but with populations continuing to expand into the mountain lions' habitat, it is likely that there will be increased human-animal conflict that may necessitate continued protection.

Cougars emit low-pitched purrs and growls, and unlike other lions, they cannot roar but instead scream, hence the name "mountain screamer. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. Wild Animals. The cougar is known by more names than almost any other living mammal because the name used depends on location, and these cats have a wide range of habitat.

Now That's Interesting. They are the most wild animals of the cat family. Their appearance is somewhat similar to the cougar, probably because they are the same animals but the slight difference may occur due to their dispersion in different regions.

They have large and powerful built, and they are heavy too. The fundamental features are the same. Mountain lions are said to have wrl Guinness book record of having the most number of names, the reason for giving different names to one type of animal is that they are vastly distributed and thus people of different reigns have given them different names, which often creates confusion as well. They can be distinguished from other members of the cat family by their larger paws and hind legs, especially in their childhood.

Cubs have spotted skin with blue eyes and rings on their tail. Their cubs leave after two years. Their diet includes almost all the animals irrespective of their size, their prey generally includes animals like mule , white tail deers, elk, moose, etc.. Mountain lions are so dangerous that they even sometimes break necks of their prey to kill them before eating. If it continues like this it might be a human and animal conflict.

Which could lead to disasters in future. Cougar and mountain lion are the same animal with different names, this is due to the vast availability of this animal indifferent regions.

Although, there might be few minor differences seen in both of them due to change in geographical areas. They are members of the cat family, and they are also considered as the most fierce member of the cat family. Skip to content Wild animals are an important part of the ecosystem, their presence might frighten humans but that would not decrease their importance.