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Puma concolor  

The puma is known by many names; it's also commonly referred to as a mountain lion, cougar or panther, and it is the largest of the smaller wildcats. Pumas have many different names because they inhabit as far north as Canada all the way through the bottom tip of South America and are highly adaptable. They can live anywhere from swamps to forests to deserts.

The average adult male found in North America weighs about 150 pounds. Pumas are slender, muscular cats with rounded ears and brownish coats that can vary in shades depending on in what region they are located. For example, reddish-brown coated pumas generally live in tropical regions. However, all black and melanistic coated pumas have been found in South and Central America.

Pumas can kill and drag prey up to seven times their own weight. They are opportunistic hunters that will eat almost anything they can catch. They have sharp claws, an exceptionally keen sense of sight and run up to 40 miles per hour.

The IUCN currently lists the puma as near threatened.

Click here to learn more about the puma and how you can help.

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