A report by Dillon

Pumas
Kingdom: Animalia
Species: Concolorit
Phylum: Cordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Puma ´s a large graceful cat, of the family Felidae, that is exceeded in size only by the jaguar among cats of the New World. The name puma is derived from usage by the Inca Indians.
Pumas are one of the eight species of bigcats. A male puma may grow to be 1.8 m (6 ft) long, plus a tail of 60-90 cm (2-3 ft). Cougars' long tails may be one-third of their total body length. An adult male cougar weighs between 63 and 90 kg (140-200 lbs), and a female cougar, between 40 and 50 kg (90-120 lbs). The coat ranges in color from reddish to brownish yellow or gray. Black stripes reach from the mouth to the eyes, and the tail tip is black. The head is small and round with a black spot over the eyes.


Cougars are usually quiet, but under some circumstances they do communicate through vocalizations. Sounds they make have been described as chirps, peeps, whistles, purrs, moans, screams, growls, and hisses. When frightened, kittens emit a series of short, high-pitched peeps. Kittens and mothers keep track of each other with whistles. Females signal their readiness to mate by yowling or caterwauling.

Cougars are usually quiet, but under some circumstances they do communicate through vocalizations. Sounds they make have been described as chirps, peeps, whistles, purrs, moans, screams, growls, and hisses. When frightened, kittens emit a series of short, high-pitched peeps. Kittens and mothers keep track of each other with whistles. Females signal their readiness to mate by yowling or caterwauling.

By: Dillon

Information copied from www.marencolodge.com and "Big Cats PUMAS" by Don Middleton.