The answer to whether a puma and a mountain lion are the same animal is a definitive yes, along with the cougar and several other regional names. This single species is known by more common names than almost any other mammal, which is the primary source of public confusion. The animal’s enormous geographic range across the Americas led various human cultures and colonizing groups to apply their own unique names. A mountain lion spotted in the Rocky Mountains is the exact same species as a puma observed in the Andes.
The Single Species Identity
All the common names refer to the scientific species Puma concolor, which is the sole member of the genus Puma within the cat family, Felidae. Taxonomically, this means that regardless of whether the animal is called a mountain lion, cougar, or puma, it is classified as one biological entity. This cat is sometimes grouped with “big cats,” but it is actually part of the small cat subfamily, Felinae, because it cannot roar and instead makes purrs, hisses, and screams.
The specific name concolor is Latin for “of one color,” a reference to the animal’s uniform tawny coat. While there are minor regional variations in size and color, genetic studies have confirmed they represent a single, cohesive species across their range. The most recent scientific classification recognizes only two subspecies: one spanning North and Central America (Puma concolor couguar) and one covering South America (Puma concolor concolor).
Why So Many Regional Names
The proliferation of names for Puma concolor is a direct result of its extensive distribution, spanning the entire length of the Western Hemisphere. The species holds the Guinness World Record for the animal with the most names, estimated to be over 40 in English alone. As various Native American groups and European explorers encountered the cat, they gave it names based on their own languages and observations.
The name “puma” is derived from the Quechua language of the Incas in South America and was later adopted into Spanish. “Cougar” originated from the Portuguese word cuguacuarana, which was a corruption of a word from the Tupi language of Brazil. English settlers in North America often called it “mountain lion,” a direct translation of the Spanish león de montaña (“lion of the mountain”). The name “catamount” is a shortening of “cat of the mountain,” a term used primarily in the northeastern United States.
Physical Traits and Geographic Range
The Puma concolor is a large, slender cat characterized by a long, muscular body and a tail that can measure about one-third of its total length. The coat color is typically uniform, ranging from a yellowish-brown or tawny hue to a more reddish-brown or silvery-gray, depending on the geographic location. They have a distinct black tip on their tail, black markings behind the ears, and a whitish underside.
Adult males in North America typically weigh around 62 kilograms, but larger individuals can exceed 100 kilograms. These cats have the widest distribution of any wild terrestrial mammal in the Americas, ranging from the Yukon in Canada to the southern Andes in Patagonia. Their adaptability allows them to thrive in nearly every habitat type, including montane forests, deserts, swamps, and tropical jungles, as long as there is adequate cover and prey. They are highly solitary and primarily active during dusk, night, and dawn.