What is the difference between cougars and pumas

The big cat has multiple names, in fact, it holds the Guinness record for the animal with the greatest number of names, with over 40 in English alone. The jaguar looks pretty much like the leopard, but the former has a sturdier and heavier body, with shorter, stockier limbs and bigger but fewer spots.

Though the Chinese names seem to be more confusing, they do reveal one fact: both cougars and jaguars can only be found in North and South America. Comparatively, the cougar is better off as it has a wider range of habitats.

The IUCN red list assesses it as of "least concern. It is listed as "near threatened" as the extant jaguars only appear in fragmented habitats in the Amazon Basin, Central America and Mexico. However, the numbers of both felines are decreasing, due to human activities including trapping and hunting, farming, ranching, logging, industrial constructions and pollution.

Overall, the jaguar is the biggest and strongest. The jaguar is the third-largest cat, after the tiger and the lion. The cougar ranks just below the jaguar in size and weight.

Cougars are well known for having many different names, and each of these names refers to the same species of large cat. This begs the question: where did these different names come from? How and where did they originate? Despite essentially being named after the jaguar, cougars are a separate species from jaguars.

The jaguar is the largest cat in the Americas, while the cougar is the second largest. Cougars are not related to lions, as they belong to the Puma genus.

Actual lions belong to the Panthera genus. Sometimes cougars are referred to as panthers, but in fact, panthers belong to an entirely different genera. The exception to the species rule is the Florida panther. Found in a small region of the Florida panhandle, these so-called panthers are actually a member of the puma genus, making them a subspecies of cougar and one that is actually endangered. So, aside from scientific classifications, what sets panthers excluding Florida panthers and cougars apart?

But in English alone, the cougar is or has been known by 40 different names. In fact, the cougar holds a Guinness world record for having so many names. Some of the names cougars have been called include:. For several days the puma will eat the bit of carcass. The female puma will signal the male that she is ready to mate by rubbing her back on a tree to leave her scent, or she will yowl loudly so the male can hear her.

The gestation period in females lasts for 85 to days and results in delivering one to six cubs. The population of the puma is decreasing due to its hunting and killing. The major threats to these species are habitat loss, trophy hunting, road kills, poisoning. Under the IUCN, a puma is listed as least concern.

Pumas are protected in many areas, the hunting of these species is legally banned. These species play a very significant role in the environment by keeping the population of lower animals down as pumas feed on carrions.

Cougar Facts: As cougars are ambush hunters, they hide behind rocks or hills waiting for their victims. Cougars are most active during the dawn and the dusk. Cougars are excellent swimmers but have a poor sense of smell. Cougars are solitary animals; the only female cougar can be seen in a group with her cubs.

An adult cougar can be seen in a group while mating. The female cougar will deliver one to six or usually three to four cubs after the gestation of 3 months. Baby cubs are born blind and deaf; after two weeks, they are able to open their eyes.

The cubs have spotted body which helps them to blend with grass, bush and mottled sunlight and protect them from their predators. The population of cougars is dropping.

Humans are interfering in their territory; as a result, some humans are getting attacked by cougars. Under the IUCN cougars are classified as least concern species.