Deer and elk antlers are real bones, and the velvet covering the growing antlers is a modified extension of the head’s normal skin. The antlers are the most rapid growing postnatal bone known. When the antlers are shed, a small piece of the outer part of the peduncle is lost. This shortens the outer length […]
The largest of Africa’s carnivores, and second-largest member of the family Felidae (after the Tiger Panthera tigris), standing as much as 1.25 m at the shoulder. Body muscular and deep-chested; head relatively short-muzzled and round-faced with prominent whiskers and white chin. Aside from the Asian tiger, lions are the largest living cats and the largest
While human encounters are rare, cougars are dangerous as they are large predators that can seriously injure or kill humans. Conflicts can arise when a puma becomes too accustomed to the presence of humans, often near where we live or play, and begins to prey on livestock or other pets. Urban sprawl is reducing cougar
Habitat and Home Range• Cougars use steep ravines, rocky outcrops, boulders, or vegetation such as dense scrub and forest to hide while hunting.• Adult male cougars are widely roaming, covering a range of 50 to 150 square miles depending on the cougar’s age, season, terrain type, and prey availability.• The home ranges of adult male
Cougars make a living by not being seen. In areas disturbed by humans, these cats are most active at dusk and early in the morning. In low-light conditions, cougars see up to six times better than humans. However, cougars can be active at dawn or dusk if the prey is active at that time. Cougars
Mountain lions, also known as Cougars are opportunistic carnivores. In Utah, the mule deer makes up over 80% of the mountain lions’ diet. Cougars primarily eat large vertebrate prey. such as elk, bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), moose (Alces alces) and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) may also be eaten. Although cougars feed primarily on large ungulates, small
Mountain lions, known as “pumas” and “cougars,” are large, powerful predators that have an important role in the ecosystem. Their main food source is deer, but they can also prey on smaller animals such as raccoons, rabbits, pets, and livestock. The historical range of the mountain lion was, aside from humans, the largest of any
Sleek and elegant, cougars (Puma concolor) are secretive loners rarely seen in the wild. Also known as mountain lions, pumas or cougars are famous for their strength, agility, and amazing jump capacity. Their truly powerful legs allow them to leap 30 feet from a standing position or leap 15 feet straight into a cliff. A
Over 20 subspecies have been described by parts of the African continent, numerous based on zoological garden samples. Because captivity conditions affect skull shape, these specimens are of little value based on taxonomic descriptions. Many authors have not recognized subspecies, but Hemmer (1974a) recognized seven subspecies in Africa. There is little quantitative data on differences
Distribution is endemic to Africa. Widespread, but localized, south of the Sahara from Senegal to Ethiopia and south to South Africa, being absent from the Sahara and Namib Deserts. Not recorded from Lesotho, but they almost certainly do occur. Although sometimes shown as absent from the forests of the Congo Basin, Aardvarks are in fact