Puma (Puma concolor)
Pumas are the most widespread of the American cats and have the largest distribution of any mammal in the western hemisphere. They also hold the record as the mammal with the most common names, with over 40 in English alone.
What do they sound like?
Watch video clips from past programmes (3 clips)
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Waterholes
Wild New World
The desert can be a difficult place to find enough to drink.
Mountain lions are successful hunters, and they can eat almost anything from mountain sheep to plants. The main problem in the desert is finding enough to drink. Away from rivers, water holes are rarely refilled as storms happen infrequently.
Mountain Lion
Wild New World
The mountain lion patrols the canyonlands.
The mountain lion is the largest predator that lives in the canyonlands of America. The desert climate makes life tough for these cats, food and water is hard to come by.
Puma family
Planet Earth
Image intensifying technology shows a night time hunt in colour.
Image intensifying technology shows a night time hunt in colour.
Featured in the following TV programmes
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Archived
Planet Earth: Mountains
A look at mountains, from their origins at Earth's lowest places to the summit of Everest.
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Archived
Wild New World: CANYONLANDS
2nd of 6 part series dramatising the arrival of people in America. Mammoths, Sabre-toothed cats and camels inhabit the area around the Grand Canyon
Common Names
- Catamount
- Cougar
- Florida panther
- Mountain lion
- Red tiger
The Puma is
Adaptation data provided by Animal Diversity Web
Where can I see them?
Conservation Status
The Puma is Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
- EX - Extinct
- EW
- CR - Threatened
- EN - Threatened
- VU - Threatened
- NT
- LC - Least concern
Population trend: Decreasing
Year assessed: 2008
Site links
BBC links
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