Mountain Lion Information for Kids

Physical Characteristics

• Mountain lions are massive. It is about 9 feet long, having a tail of about one-third of that size. It resembles a large domestic cat. According to the Nature Mapping Foundation, it is gray to reddish tan and is known by its white muzzle and chest, with black marks on its face, ears and tail tip. They have black spots as babies, until about the age of 6 months.

Habitat

• Mountain lions are the most widely distributed land mammals in the Western Hemisphere. They are spread out from northwestern Canada to Patagonia in South America. They are also found in Washington and California, according to the Washington Nature Mapping Program. They live in dens, rocky ledges, dense thickets and under uprooted trees. An adult male needs a large amount of space. According to the Nature Mapping Program, its personal space covers a range of 50 to 150 square miles.

Diet

• A cougar hunts from dusk until dawn. Using its massive size, it pounces on its prey, killing it with one large, deadly bite on the prey's neck. Its primary animal of interest is the deer; yet it also feeds on porcupines, raccoons, foxes, birds and mice. After a mountain lion finishes eating, it covers its food with sticks and leaves, saving it for its next meal.

Lifespan/Breeding Cycle

• A mountain lion can live for 10 to 20 years in the wild, and more than two decades in captivity. The female begins breeding by 3 years old. Female cougars only carry their unborn for three months prior to giving birth. A litter may consist of up to six kittens, born with their eyes shut . They usually open their eyes at about 8 or 9 days old, and are weaned in two to three months. They remain with their mother until they are about 2 years old before venturing off on their own.

Current Status

• The mountain lion today is an endangered species, according to the National Geographic website, although at the beginning of the 20th century, the species roamed freely all over the United States. Hunters killed these animals for sport; they became the enemy of farmers and rangers because they would often lose their livestock to them. Only the Florida panther subspecies survives today. However, according to National Geographic, some scientists see the mountain lion reappearing in the East and Midwest, if humans refrain from interfering.