Essay About Mountain Lion

Introduction

Mountain lions, also known as pumas or a cougar, the Felis Concolor Hippolestes have a very vague history. The fossil record of these large felines is a mystery to many, according to the Mountain Lion Foundation, for two reasons. The first, is that most ancestral cats occupied tropical forests where the environmental factors made it difficult to preserve fossils. The second was that the physical characteristics of these large cats were similar to the capture of prey making it difficult to distinguish a felines structure. Because these cats are so difficult to distinguish due to their similarities, there have been many debates about different species of cats, who their ancestors are and where they originated from.

Though the thorough history of these carnivores is undecided, some modern and

The Colorado mountain lions are known to all be a light cinnamon color with black tipped ears and a black tipped tail. The tail of a mountain lion is at least two-thirds of its total body length. The sizes of mountain lions varies, but the males are generally larger than the females. A adult male Felis Concolor can grow to be more than eight feet in length and weigh an average of 150 pounds. Adult females can grow up to seven feet in length and weigh an average of 90 pounds. A mountain lion can run as fast as 50 mph in a sprint or can run up to 10 mph for long distances, allowing them to chase their prey quickly and efficiently. Mountain Lions can also leap as high as 15 feet.

Diet

Mountain Lions are oportunistic hunters. They usually hunt alone from dawn to dusk and will kill a deer once a week. A mountain lion will run after its prey and attack from behind. To preserve their meals for the week, a lion will drag its prey to another area and cover it with dry leaves, grass and pine. In addition, mountain lions will also hunt coyotes, raccoons, rodents, elk, feral hogs, and even porcupines.