Eastern Cougar In USA
2
Ghost cat. Catamount. Puma. Painter. Panther. Mountain lion. Cougar. The many names given the nation's largest cat convey the mystery surrounding this solitary hunter. But the variety of names also demonstrates the cougar's original distribution across the North American continent and from southern Canada to the tip of South America. Once the most widely distributed land mammal in the Western Hemisphere, cougars have been eliminated in most of their native habitat. Only western cougars still live in large enough numbers to maintain breeding populations, and they live on wild lands in the western United States and Canada. Observations of western cougars provide biologists with information for the cats that once lived east of the Mississippi. Although generally presumed extinct in the wild, eastern cougars remain protected by the Endangered Species Act. Eastern cougars historically ranged from Michigan, southern Ontario, eastern Canada and Maine south to South Carolina and west across Tennessee. At one time, they lived in every Eastern state in a variety of habitats including coastal marshes, mountains and forests. The cougar's Latin name gives a clue to its appearance; “concolor” means with one color, and adult cougars' fur is a uniform red-brown or gray-brown. Cougars have long, slender bodies with very long tails and broad, round heads with erect, rounded ears. Adult cats average from 6 feet (females) to 8 feet (males) long, including their tail. Males, at around 140 pounds, are larger than females at about 105 pounds. Cougars can swim, climb trees and leap horizontally and vertically equally well. Eastern cougars' primary prey was white-tailed deer, but they also hunted eastern elk (now extinct) and porcupines and other smaller mammals. Cougars usually do not chase down their prey, but stalk and ambush; a cougar may leap as far as 20 feet onto a deer's back and can kill an animal with one bite to the neck. One cougar consumes a deer every week to 10 days, or more frequently if a female is feeding cubs. Cougars have no natural enemies, only humans. Cougars are mostly lone animals, except for mothers raising cubs and the time a pair spends together while mating. Males may occupy a range of more than 25 square miles and females between 5 and 20 square miles. Both females and males defend home territories. Cougars begin breeding at two or three years old and breed once every two or three years. Females initiate courtship, and produce a litter of two to three kittens after a three- month gestation. The kittens reach 10 pounds at eight weeks, and may weigh 30 to 45 pounds at six months. Females spend 18 to 24 months raising cubs to maturity. Cougars live an average of eight years. Early settlers perceived the cougar as a danger to livestock and humans and a competitor for wild game. With bounties set by states, the eastern cougar was hunted and trapped relentlessly until they were extirpated throughout most of their range. Cougars were gone from much of the East by the late 1800s. At the same time, much of their habitat was eliminated through deforestation, which, along with hunting, also reduced the population and range of white-tailed deer. Although the forests and the deer have returned in the East in recent decades, conflicting land uses, fragmented habitat, roads, diseases and parasites from domestic animals, and expanding human populations will likely prevent cougars from returning to most of their former range. Habitat able to support small populations may still occur in some of the larger undeveloped tracts of forest in the East. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service M A R C H 3 , 1 8 4 9 U . S . D E P A R T M E N T O F T H E I N T E R I O R Eastern cougar Felis concolor couguar Cougars in the Western Hemisphere were originally classified into 32 subspecies. Recent genetic research instead identifies six groups, five of which are in Central or South America. Some, but not all, cougar biologists believe that this information suggests that all North American cougars are one subspecies. However, a complete taxonomic evaluation including morphology, ecology and biogeography has not been completed. An isolated population, like the Florida panther, can develop some genetic differences through past genetic bottlenecks and inbreeding within a small population. The Florida panther is the only breeding population of cougar east of the Mississippi.
-
Upload
theo-blevins -
Category
Documents
-
view
225 -
download
6
description
Eastern Cougar In USA
Transcript of Eastern Cougar In USA
-
Ghost cat. Catamount. Puma. Painter.Panther. Mountain lion. Cougar. The manynames given the nation's largest catconvey the mystery surrounding thissolitary hunter. But the variety of namesalso demonstrates the cougar's originaldistribution across the North Americancontinent and from southern Canada tothe tip of South America.
Once the most widely distributed landmammal in the Western Hemisphere,cougars have been eliminated in most oftheir native habitat. Only western cougarsstill live in large enough numbers tomaintain breeding populations, and theylive on wild lands in the western UnitedStates and Canada. Observations ofwestern cougars provide biologists withinformation for the cats that once livedeast of the Mississippi.
Although generally presumed extinct inthe wild, eastern cougars remainprotected by the Endangered Species Act.Eastern cougars historically ranged fromMichigan, southern Ontario, easternCanada and Maine south to SouthCarolina and west across Tennessee. Atone time, they lived in every Eastern statein a variety of habitats including coastalmarshes, mountains and forests.
The cougar's Latin name gives a clue to itsappearance; concolor means with onecolor, and adult cougars' fur is a uniformred-brown or gray-brown. Cougars havelong, slender bodies with very long tailsand broad, round heads with erect,rounded ears. Adult cats average from 6 feet (females) to 8 feet (males) long,including their tail. Males, at around 140pounds, are larger than females at about105 pounds. Cougars can swim, climbtrees and leap horizontally and verticallyequally well. Eastern cougars' primaryprey was white-tailed deer, but they alsohunted eastern elk (now extinct) andporcupines and other smaller mammals.
Cougars usually do not chase down theirprey, but stalk and ambush; a cougar mayleap as far as 20 feet onto a deer's backand can kill an animal with one bite to theneck. One cougar consumes a deer everyweek to 10 days, or more frequently if afemale is feeding cubs. Cougars have nonatural enemies, only humans.
Cougars are mostly lone animals, exceptfor mothers raising cubs and the time apair spends together while mating. Malesmay occupy a range of more than 25square miles and females between 5 and20 square miles. Both females and malesdefend home territories. Cougars beginbreeding at two or three years old andbreed once every two or three years.Females initiate courtship, and produce alitter of two to three kittens after a three-month gestation. The kittens reach 10pounds at eight weeks, and may weigh 30to 45 pounds at six months. Females spend18 to 24 months raising cubs to maturity.Cougars live an average of eight years.
Early settlers perceived the cougar as adanger to livestock and humans and acompetitor for wild game. With bountiesset by states, the eastern cougar washunted and trapped relentlessly until theywere extirpated throughout most of theirrange. Cougars were gone from much of
the East by the late 1800s. At the sametime, much of their habitat was eliminatedthrough deforestation, which, along withhunting, also reduced the population andrange of white-tailed deer. Although theforests and the deer have returned in theEast in recent decades, conflicting landuses, fragmented habitat, roads, diseasesand parasites from domestic animals, andexpanding human populations will likelyprevent cougars from returning to most oftheir former range. Habitat able tosupport small populations may still occurin some of the larger undeveloped tractsof forest in the East.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
MARCH 3, 18
49
U.S.DEPA
RTMENT OF THE
INTERIOR
Eastern cougarFelis concolor couguar
Cougars in the Western Hemispherewere originally classified into 32subspecies. Recent genetic researchinstead identifies six groups, five ofwhich are in Central or South America.Some, but not all, cougar biologistsbelieve that this information suggeststhat all North American cougars areone subspecies. However, a completetaxonomic evaluation includingmorphology, ecology and biogeographyhas not been completed. An isolatedpopulation, like the Florida panther,can develop some genetic differencesthrough past genetic bottlenecks andinbreeding within a small population.The Florida panther is the onlybreeding population of cougareast of the Mississippi.
-
While confirmed cougars sightings have occurred recently in the wild in the East,there is currently no physical evidence documenting the continued existence of apopulation of wild eastern cougars. The cougars examined in the Northeast in thepast 70 years are likely released or escaped captives. Some cats had a SouthAmerican genetic profile. Some may be animals that dispersed into the region fromwestern populations. Confirmed cougar sightings have increased in the Midwestand Great Lakes states in recent years. Some believe that a small residualpopulation of wild cougars persisted in the Canadian Maritime Provinces wherethere has also been recent confirmed evidence of cougars.
Northeast RegionU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service300 Westgate Center DriveHadley, MA 01035413/253 8200http://northeast.fws.gov
Federal Relay Servicefor the deaf and hard-of-hearing1 800/877 8339
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicehttp://www.fws.gov1 800/344 WILD
December 2010
illustrations: Robert Savannah
