Mountain Lions inhabit the largest overall range in the western hemisphere; from the Canadian Yukon all the way down to the southern Andes Mountains in Chile.

Mountain Lions, also referred to as Cougars, Pumas, or Panthers, once had an extensive range throughout North America. Today their ranges have been reduced to the western states, down through Texas, as well as Florida’s southern Gulf Coast. There have also been isolated sightings in the Midwest and Northeast. Mountain Lions are America’s largest wild cat, weighing up to 200 pounds. Their tail, measuring nearly one-third of their total length, serves to give them excellent balance. When stalking and attacking prey Mountain Lions utilize extraordinary leaping abilities. They are capable of running jumps exceeding 40 ft. and standing vertical leaps of up to 15 ft.

Mountain Lions are solitary animals except during mating. They are mostly nocturnal, relying on their acute senses of vision, smell, and hearing to guide them through the darkness. An individual lion’s home range may cover from 5 to over 100 square miles. While the territories of the female and male may overlap, the territory of same sex Mountain Lions will not. Both sexes mark their territories with scrapes and their scent to warn other Lions of their borders. Females also use scrapes and scent to advertise that they are in estrus.