The cougar ( _Puma concolor_ ) is a large, adaptable feline found throughout the Americas. This animal is known by many names across its vast range, including puma, mountain lion, catamount, and panther. Possessing the widest distribution of any wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere, cougars inhabit diverse environments from the Yukon in Canada down to the southern Andes in Patagonia, Argentina. They thrive in various habitats, including dense forests, expansive grasslands, rugged mountains, and arid deserts.
Cougars: Solitary by Nature
Cougars are overwhelmingly solitary animals, preferring to live and hunt alone across their extensive territories. Each cougar establishes and defends a large home range, which can vary in size depending on the terrain, available vegetation, and the abundance of prey. Males typically maintain larger territories than females, and both sexes mark their boundaries using scent (urine and feces) and distinctive claw marks on trees. This territorial behavior helps minimize conflicts between individuals and ensures access to sufficient resources.
Their solitary lifestyle is directly linked to their hunting strategy. Cougars are ambush predators, relying on stealth and surprise to capture prey. This method is most effective for a lone hunter, as group hunting would likely increase competition for food and reduce the efficiency of their ambushes. Their diet primarily consists of ungulates like deer and elk, though they also hunt smaller mammals. After a successful kill, a cougar often drags the carcass to a secluded location and covers it, returning to feed over several days.
Understanding Cougar Social Dynamics
While cougars are largely solitary, there are specific instances when they are found together, primarily revolving around reproduction and cub rearing. The most common social unit observed is a mother with her offspring. Female cougars raise their cubs (also called kittens) for an extended period, typically between 13 to 24 months. During this time, the mother teaches her cubs hunting and survival skills necessary for their eventual independence. She nurses them for about seven weeks before beginning to bring them to her kills.
Litter sizes usually range from two to three kittens, though they can have between one and four. Mothers may leave their cubs alone briefly while hunting to sustain themselves and their young. Once the cubs disperse, young males often travel considerable distances to establish their own territories, while dispersing females may settle in areas adjacent to or overlapping their mother’s home range.
Additionally, male and female cougars will briefly come together for mating. Mating can occur year-round, but it is often more frequent during winter and early spring, from December to March. During this courtship, pairs may remain together for approximately four to ten days. Males, however, play no part in raising the young.
Dispelling Common Misconceptions
A frequent misconception is that a group of cougars is called a “pride.” This term is reserved for a group of lions. Lions are unique among large cat species for their highly social structure, living in prides composed of related females, their offspring, and a coalition of resident males who collaborate for hunting and defense. Cougars, in contrast, do not form such social groups.
The idea that cougars form “prides” likely stems from their common alternative name, “mountain lion.” However, despite the shared word “lion,” cougars exhibit a solitary nature different from the social dynamics of true lions. While some informal collective nouns like “clowder” or “leap” have been suggested, these are not widely recognized or accepted terms for groups of cougars. The reality is that adult cougars rarely congregate, reinforcing the absence of a specific collective noun for them.