The mountain lion (Puma concolor), also known as a cougar or puma, is one of the largest predators in the Americas. The definitive answer to whether a mountain lion can roar is no; they lack the specific biological machinery required to produce the deep, resonant sound associated with true “big cats.” This inability is rooted in a fundamental difference in their throat structure, which is shared with domestic cats and other smaller felids. Mountain lions communicate through a diverse set of sounds, including purrs, hisses, and a notorious scream.
The Anatomical Barrier to Roaring
The ability to produce a true, low-frequency roar is determined by the structure of a cat’s larynx and the hyoid apparatus, the small bones supporting the tongue and voice box. In the genus Panthera (lions, tigers, jaguars, and leopards), the hyoid bone is not fully ossified. Instead, it features a flexible ligament, which allows the larynx to drop lower in the throat, creating a longer vocal tract that resonates to produce a sustained, deep roar.
Mountain lions, belonging to the genus Puma, have a completely ossified, or bony, hyoid structure, similar to the domestic cat. This rigid arrangement anchors the larynx high in the throat, preventing the vocal tract elongation necessary for a roar. This solid hyoid is what permits the mountain lion to produce a continuous purr during both inhalation and exhalation, a feat the roaring cats cannot manage.
The True Vocal Repertoire of Mountain Lions
Despite their inability to roar, mountain lions possess a wide and complex range of vocalizations. The most distinctive sound they produce is a high-pitched scream or “caterwaul,” often mistaken for a human scream. This piercing vocalization is primarily a long-distance communication tool.
The scream is most frequently heard when a female is in estrus, advertising her reproductive availability to distant males. Males also use similar, though less common, screams to challenge rivals and announce their presence in a territory. The sound is designed to travel, sometimes carrying up to a mile, especially through mountain canyons.
Mountain lions communicate through a variety of softer sounds. They purr when relaxed or when a mother is bonding with her cubs, signifying contentment. They use hisses and growls as warning signals, with a sharp hiss indicating agitation or a threat. Cubs and mothers use short, soft chirps and trills to locate one another and maintain contact.
Size vs. Sound: Where Mountain Lions Fit in the Cat Family
The mountain lion’s large size often leads to the mistaken assumption that it should be classified alongside roaring predators like the lion or tiger. However, the ability to roar, not body mass, is the defining factor in the classification of the cat family, Felidae.
The Felidae family is divided into two main subfamilies: Pantherinae, which includes the roaring cats, and Felinae, which includes the non-roaring cats. Despite reaching weights of over 200 pounds, the mountain lion (Puma concolor) is placed firmly within the Felinae subfamily, alongside much smaller species like the bobcat, cheetah, and domestic cat.
This taxonomic placement confirms that the mountain lion is physiologically a “small cat,” as its vocal structure is aligned with purring species rather than roaring ones. A cat’s vocal capability is a better indicator of its evolutionary lineage than its sheer physical dimensions.