By Marla Lise
Puma in Belize. Photo by Rhett A. Butler
Scientific Name: Puma concolor
There are 6 sub-species of puma concolor that range from North
America all the way down through Central America to the tip of South America. The puma goes
by a few different names, including panther, mountain lion and cougar.
The puma is said to hold the record for the animal with the most number
Pumas are nocturnal and have been described to be more similar to the
smaller domestic cats than big ones such as lions. One could say they are the largest of
the small cats, although they are the fourth largest of all cats, with males
usually measuring around 2.5m in length and weighing around 62 kg (155 pounds).
The sounds that they make are also more similar to those of small felines than
the roars of the big cats. They communicate through growls, chirps and
Pumas are usually solitary animals, keeping mainly to themselves. They
can swim if they have to, but usually avoid the water. pumas are good at climbing
trees, which helps them to get out escape bigger predators like jaguars and bears that sometimes share their habitat.
Pumas are carnivores, usually stalking hoofed animals, such as deer,
elk, cows and sheep. They are also known to hunt smaller animals such
as rodents and birds. They can survive on one deer over a period of 2
weeks, although this time frame can change due to different circumstances.
For example, if the puma has cubs, she will need to hunt more often.
Pumas have one litter of cubs every 2-3 years, and survival rates are low, with usually just one cub surviving.
Even though it is listed as a least concern species on the IUCN red list,
Puma populations are decreasing in some areas due to a decrease in their habitats
due to deforestation and changes in land use. In certain parts of
North America it is still legal to hunt Pumas, and in other areas, pumas are hunted illegally. Farmers are not happy that pumas sometimes eat
their livestock, and therefore they shoot them.
But killing a puma, which is a top-level predator, has trickle-down effects on the food chain. For example, when pumas decrease, deer numbers increase, impacting vegetation and increasing competition between deer, sometimes triggering a decline in deer populations. Sometimes increased deer populations become a nuisance for humans who tired of deer eating their gardens and contributing to highway accidents. Therefore it is important that pumas aren't eliminated from wild areas. After all, it is their world too.
Photo by Marla Lisa
Blue and Gold Macaw
Grey Winged Trumpeter
Asian black bear
Black-and-white ruffed lemur
Black-faced spider monkey
Brown capuchin monkey
Capybara [2nd profile]
Eastern Long Beaked Echidna
Malagasy Giant Jumping Rat
Plains Zebra not a rainforest species
South American tapir
South American coatimundi
Leatherback Sea Turtle not a rainforest species
Pygmy stump-tailed chameleon
Giant Chinese Salamander
Gladiator Tree Frog
Green Poison Arrow Frog
Indian Purple Frog
All about Rainforests
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