Pumas are long-limbed, plain-coated ambush predators with the largest hind legs relative to body size of any American cat. That build supports vertical leaps of well over fifteen feet and standing jumps onto rock ledges.
Despite reaching the mass of a leopard, the puma belongs to the small-cat side of the family tree. It purrs, screams and chirps but has no roaring anatomy.
Size and measurements
| Head-body length | 3 ft 3 in – 6 ft 7 in (100–200 cm) |
|---|---|
| Tail length | 24 in – 3 ft 1 in (60–95 cm) |
| Shoulder height | 24 in – 2 ft 11 in (60–90 cm) |
| Body weight | 64–220 lb (29–100 kg) — Males 53–100 kg, females 29–64 kg; animals near the equator are smaller than those at high latitudes. |
| Top recorded speed | 50 mph (80 km/h) — Short accelerations from cover rather than sustained pursuit. |
| Lifespan in the wild | 8–13 years |
| Lifespan under human care | 18–21 years |
Habitat and range
Almost any terrain that offers stalking cover and ungulate prey, from coastal rainforest and Rocky Mountain conifer to Sonoran desert, Patagonian steppe and Andean páramo above 13,000 feet.
From British Columbia and Alberta south through the western United States, Mexico and Central America to Chile and Argentina. A small, isolated population persists in southern Florida.
Diet and hunting
Deer dominate across most of the range, supplemented by elk calves, guanaco, vicuña, peccary, porcupines, hares and rodents.
Hunting strategy — Stalk, pounce and cache. A puma approaches under cover, launches from short range and kills with a bite to the neck, then drags the carcass to a cache site and returns over several nights.
Behaviour and activity
Solitary. Adults hold large, scent-marked ranges; recent GPS work shows more tolerance and even occasional food sharing between neighbours than was long assumed.
Crepuscular and nocturnal. Movement peaks at dawn and dusk, matching deer activity, and shifts further into the night close to roads and settlement.
Climbing and swimming
Climbing — Exceptional. Climbs quickly and confidently, often treeing to escape wolves or dogs and to rest above the ground.
Swimming — Capable. Swims when necessary, including between coastal islands, but generally avoids water.
Conservation status
The Puma is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with a population trend recorded as decreasing in the assessment published in 2015.
Secure at the species level thanks to a huge range, but eastern North American populations were extirpated, and the Florida panther depends on active genetic and habitat management.
Documented threats
- Habitat fragmentation by roads and development
- Vehicle collisions
- Retaliatory killing after livestock loss
- Prey depletion
- Genetic isolation of small populations
Look up the current Red List assessment for Puma concolor
Notable traits
- The species holds one of the longest lists of English common names of any mammal, a legacy of its enormous range.
- Vertical leaps of more than fifteen feet from a standing position have been documented.
- Highway crossing structures in California and Florida were built specifically to reconnect isolated puma populations.
Sources for this profile
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Global assessment categories, population trends and documented threats.
- IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group Species accounts, distribution notes and Cat News reporting for every wild felid.
- Panthera Field research programmes and species profiles for big and small wild cats.
- U.S. National Park Service Long-running monitoring of North American carnivores inside protected areas.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Federal listing status and recovery planning for cats occurring in the United States.