The cougar goes by many names. It is also called the mountain lion, the puma and the panther. In Florida, cougars are called Florida panthers. Catamount is another name for the cougar. A puma is not a new animal. It is the cougar. So is a mountain lion.

Let us see where cougars live. Cougars live from the Yukon in Canada south to the southern tip of Chile. They are found in many places across the Americas. Cougars live in many kinds of places, such as deserts and forests.

Let us see what a cougar eats. Cougars mostly eat deer. They also eat large animals such as elk. Now let us see how it hunts. Cougars usually hunt alone. A cougar stalks its food quietly before it leaps. Cougars have very keen eyesight.

Let us see what a cougar can do. A cougar can leap about 18 feet straight up. That is about 5.5 meters. Some people think that a cougar can roar. It cannot. A cougar can purr, but it cannot roar. It can growl and hiss.

Now let us meet the cougar kittens. Cougar kittens are born with spots. Cougar kittens have blue eyes when they are born. A newborn kitten weighs about one pound. A mother cougar has one to six kittens in a litter.

Now let us see how a mother cares for her kittens. A mother cougar gives birth to her kittens in a den. Cougar kittens are cared for by their mother for up to two years. A cougar in a zoo can live about 20 years.

Words to know

• catamount: a cougar
• stalks: sneaks up
• litter: kittens born together
• den: an animal's home