Cougar (or Mountain Lion)

Scientific Name: Puma concolor

Habitat: The Western part of the U.S. is their stronghold and they are most abundant in foothills, canyons, or mesa country.* These animals are most at home in brushy areas and woodlands, rather than in forests or open prairies.*

Diet: Deer - the cougar eats until it is full, then buries the remainder of the carcass under leaves or conifer needles, then rests and digests the food for a few days.* An adult eats 1 deer a week.*

Coloration: Reddish to buffy, lighter below with a 32-inch black-tipped tail.*

Mating: Breeding occurs at any time of the year but peaks in the spring.* The cubs are very commonly born in July after a 14-week gestation period.* Litters usually have 2 or 3 spotted, one pound (fist-sized) cubs that are weaned at about eight times their birth weight, or when they are 6 weeks old. *

Fun Facts: Cougars are also called mountain lions, pumas, panther, catamount, or "just plain lion" and are more than 6 feet long and weigh 130 pounds (or more) when they are adults. These are Colorado's biggest cats.*

Sources:
*http://wildlife.state.co.us/WildlifeSpecies/Profiles/Mammals/MountainLion.htm