Facts About Mountain Lions

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Mountain lions are one of the biggest and most elusive predators in North America. These animals are so elusive that people go their whole lives without ever seeing one in the wild. Like their cousins in Africa, mountain lions are normally tan in color with white underbellies with a black tipped tail. However male mountain lions do not grow a mane like the African lion Mountain lions also have white fur on the inside of their ears and black on the outside. An adult mountain lion’s weight has a lot to do with which sex it is. Males will usually weigh between 100 to 250 pounds (LBS). Female mountain lions usually weigh between 75 and 150 pounds (LBS). Their length is also affected by their sex. Males are between 7 to 8 feet long whereas females are around 6 to 7 feet long.

Mountain Lion Babies (Cubs)

Mountain lion babies are born with black spots to help camouflage them from any predators in their area. These spots start to fade and disappear as they get older usually when they are 1 year old.

Mountain Lion Paw Print

Adult mountain lion tracks are usually about 2 1/2 inches (about the size of a baseball) to 4 inches long (about the size of a softball). The size of the track will change depending on the age and sex of the mountain lion. They have 4 toe marks and no claw marks above the toes. There are no claw marks because mountain lions like house cats have retractable claws. Mountain lions, like house cats, avoid stepping on sticks and rocks and most of their tracks will be found in soft dirt or snow.

Mountain Lion Habitat

These big cats are commonly found west of Louisiana. Generally, mountain lions follow deer and elk and can be found in the same areas where deer and elk are. They live in the mountains, canyons, and also in forested areas.

Mountain Lions VS Cougar

Mountain lions have many names that they go by. A few of their names are also cougar and puma. Really no matter which name you call it you are referring to the same animal. However, some of the mountain lion’s names are used in more places than others. As an example, in parts of the United States like Florida, they are referred to more as pumas. Whereas in Utah, they are called mountain lions and cougars and are rarely referred to as pumas.

Mountain Lion Poop/Scatt

Things are about to get crappy! Because mountain lions are bigger predators, their scat will be full of fur from whatever animal they eat. Their scat will also be larger in size because their bodies are about 7 feet long.

Mountain Lion Vs Bobcat

Bobcats are commonly mistaken for mountain lions by many people. This is actually pretty easy to do. If you look at the picture below in the bottom left corner you will see an animal there. Does it look like a mountain lion or a bobcat?

If you guessed bobcat you are correct. The first thing to look at when you look at a picture like this is their ears. A bobcat’s ears have black tips on the ends. A mountain lion’s ears are darker brown throughout their whole ear. another way to identify if the cat you found is a bobcat or a mountain lion is their tail length. Bobcats have short stubby tails that are about 5 inches long. A mountain lion’s tail is very long and can be anywhere from 2 to 3 feet long. Bobcats are also a lot smaller than cougars. An adult bobcat is usually about 2 1/2 feet long and roughly 20 to 30 pounds or about 1/10 of an adult mountain lion’s size. Pictured below are a bobcat and a mountain lion.

Mountain Lion Scream

These big cats make a few different sounds. They can scream, hiss, and purr. Below is a video of a mountain lion screaming. Frankly, I am intimidated, I would not like to be out and about and hear the noise in the video below! I think I would run as fast as possible to my car to get away from it!

If you want to hear all the sounds that cougars make, click the mountain lion sounds below!

Black and White Mountian Lion

Black mountain lions can exist. A black mountain lion is incredibly rare and currently, there have never been any found in the United States. A black mountain lion would have a condition called melanism. Melanism is a skin pigment disorder that causes really dark coloring in all animal’s skin and fur. If you ever find a black mountain lion on a trail camera, you will be famous if you share it.

The first white cougar was spotted in Brazil recently with the help of trail cameras! This cougar has a condition referred to as leucistic. This is a condition that can cause complete white pigments in their fur or white patchy spots in their fur. Click below for more information!

Mountain Lions Attack

These giant cats are very protective of their babies. Most mountain lion attacks come from a mother mountain lion protecting her babies. If you are ever attacked or threatened by a mountain lion, be big and loud. Pick up sticks and wave them around to intimidate the mountain lion. Do not throw things at them as this can be taken as a form of aggression. Mountain lions will also attack pets that are left outside homes and take them away and eat them.

These animals are awesome and dangerous creatures. If you ever see one in the wild make sure to give them their space. Set up trail cameras in areas where you see them. These cats are super territorial and will most likely come back to the same area multiple times. This is why we also suggest putting trail cameras around your home if you live where mountain lions live. If you find one close to where you live they will be there multiple times. Knowing this information can keep you and your family safe from them.

Utah Mountain Lions

A lot of the recent mountain lion encounters have happened here in Utah! If you would like to learn more about why this is happening click below!

Backyard Mountain Lions

Mountain lions are sometimes bold enough to make their way into our cities! When this happens it can be very dangerous to people, pets, and livestock. Click below for people’s encounters with mountain lions in their backyards!

If you need suggestions for trail cameras to help you get pictures of cougars, make sure to check out our trail camera review page below! You might end up on the news as we did!