--- title: "Cougar (Puma concolor) | AnimalTracks.wiki" description: "The solitary ghost cat of the Americas that can leap 40 feet in a single bound and purrs like a smaller cat." image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/cougar-1.webp" published: "2026-09-05" updated: "2026-09-12" --- # Cougar (*Puma concolor*) > **Status**: Checked against 6 sources, listed under Sources below. > **Tagline**: The solitary ghost cat of the Americas that can leap 40 feet in a single bound and purrs like a smaller cat. > **Soundtrack Vibe**: Indie Rock & Desert Sleaze // Arctic Monkeys, "Do I Wanna Know?" > **Soundtrack Links**: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/track/5FVd6KXrgO9B3JPmC8OPst) | [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpOSxM0rNPM) > **Vibe Match**: Stealthy midnight swagger, low-profile stalking tension, and explosive sudden kinetic precision in the shadows. ## Biological Superpowers & Stats - **Taxonomy**: *Puma concolor* - **Danger Level**: Extreme - **Conservation Status**: Least Concern ([IUCN Red List](https://www.iucnredlist.org/)) - **Superpower**: 40-foot horizontal spring leaps and soft tracks that barely mark the ground - **Habitat**: Mountains, coniferous forests, deserts, tropical jungles, and scrublands from the Canadian Yukon to the Strait of Magellan in Chile - **Diet**: Mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, bighorn sheep, and small mammals - **Tags**: mountains, woodland, apex-predator, stealth-hunter, carnivore, mammal, solitary-hunter ## Natural History & Behavior ## The Ghost Cat of the Western Wilderness Roaming silently through rugged mountain canyons from the Canadian Yukon all the way to the Strait of Magellan in Chile, the **Cougar** (*Puma concolor*) holds the broadest geographic range of any native land mammal in the Western Hemisphere. Also known as the mountain lion, puma, or panther, this solitary ambush predator moves through wilderness landscapes like a ghost. Males weigh 36 to 120 kilograms (about 80 to 265 pounds), and in Washington adult males average about **140 pounds** and stand about 30 inches at the shoulder. The cougar belongs to the subfamily *Felinae*, while the lion, tiger and jaguar belong to *Pantherinae*. It cannot roar like a lion or tiger; instead, it growls, hisses and purrs like smaller cats, and lets out blood-curdling screams. ### Spring-Loaded Leaping The cougar relies on short, explosive bursts of speed to ambush its prey, and its long hind legs make it an agile, impressive jumper. A cougar can leap as high as **18 feet** (5.5 meters) straight up and cover **40 feet** (about 12 meters) horizontally in one bound, according to the National Park Service. > **Thirty Feet Out** Cougars stalk quietly to within 30 feet of their prey, then leap onto its back with a suffocating neck bite. The impact can be enough to break the prey's neck; if it isn't, the cougar delivers the killing bite. ### Master of the Camouflaged Stash After bringing down a deer or elk, a cougar usually drags it to a secluded spot under cover to feed. It returns to feed several times: a large male in Washington's Cascade Mountains eats up to 20 pounds at a time and buries the rest for later. It often covers the remains with snow, grass, leaves, sticks or soil. A cougar may stay near this camouflaged meat locker for six to eight days, guarding it against scavengers and feeding on it. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How far and high can a cougar jump? According to the National Park Service, a cougar can leap as high as 18 feet (5.5 meters) and cover 40 feet (about 12 meters) horizontally in one bound. Its long hind legs make it an agile, impressive jumper. *(Source: [National Park Service, Rocky Mountain National Park]())* ### Can a mountain lion roar like a lion or tiger? No. Unlike lions or tigers, mountain lions cannot roar. Instead they hiss, purr, growl, yowl and chirp, and at night in the mating season they let out wails that people have likened to a woman's scream. *(Source: [National Wildlife Federation, Wildlife Guide]())* ### How do cougars kill large prey? Cougars are ambush hunters that rely on short bursts of speed. They stalk quietly until they are within 30 feet of their prey, then leap onto the animal's back. Animal Diversity Web describes the kill as a powerful bite below the base of the skull that breaks the prey's neck. *(Source: [Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan]())* ## Sources 1. [Puma concolor (cougar). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.]() 2. [Mountain Lion. National Wildlife Federation, Wildlife Guide.]() 3. [Mountain Lion. National Park Service, Rocky Mountain National Park.]() 4. [Cougar (Puma concolor). Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife.]() 5. [Weissengruber et al. (2002). Hyoid apparatus and pharynx in the lion (Panthera leo), jaguar (Panthera onca), tiger (Panthera tigris), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) and domestic cat (Felis silvestris f. catus). Journal of Anatomy.]() 6. [Puma concolor - Puma. Mammal Diversity Database, American Society of Mammalogists.]() *Published September 5, 2026. 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