mountain lion

(Puma concolor)

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

NatureServe

N3 - Vulnerable

S3 - Vulnerable

Minnesota

Special Concern

Species in Greatest Conservation Need

 
mountain lion
Photo by Ramona Abrego
 
Description

The species epithet concolor means “one color.” Mountain lions are uniformly buff above, lighter below. There is usually a dark stripe down the middle of the back. The neck, chest, and belly are lighter. The fur is short and dense. The back of the ears, the sides of the nose, and the tip of the tail are dark brown.

Juveniles (cubs) are spotted.

 

Size

Total length: 34 to 61

Tail: 21 to 32

 

Sign

 

 

Similar Species

 
Habitat

Mostly remote, heavily forested areas, but also agricultural areas.

Biology

Behavior

 

 

Lifespan

18 to 20 years

 

Life Cycle

 

 

Food

Mostly deer

Distribution

Distribution Map

 

Sources

6, 24, 29, 30.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) Cougar (Puma concolor), https://www.fws.gov/species/cougar-puma-concolor.

Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu, 6/21/2025).

Hennepin County (light green on the map) represents a sighting on MinnesotaSeasons.com of which the identity is “not certain.”

According to the Minnesota DNR, “there is no evidence of a viable breeding population in Minnesota.”

6/21/2025  
   
   
   
   

Occurrence

Occasional visitor

Taxonomy

Class

Mammalia (mammals)

Subclass

Theria

Infraclass

Eutheria (placental mammals)

Magnorder

Boreoeutheria

Superorder

Laurasiatheria (ungulates, carnivorans, and allies)

Order

Carnivora (carnivorans)

Suborder

Feliformia (cat-like carnivores)

Superfamily

Feloidea

Infraorder

Aeluroidea

Family

Felidae (cats)

Subfamily

Felinae (small cats)

Genus

Puma (mountain lions)

   

Higher-level classification
The taxonomy of mammals used on MinnesotaSeasons.com follows the Mammal Diversity Database (MDD). It differs from ITIS, iNaturalist, and Wikipedia, each of which differ from each other.

Genus
This species was formerly named Felis concolor, placed in the genus with the domestic cat. A comprehensive review of the Family Felidae (Wozencraft, 1993) concluded that it should be moved to the genus Puma, placing it in the genus with jaguarundi, a mammal only slightly larger than the domestic cat. The move was controversial because the species is more closely to the domestic cat than to the jaguar.

   

Subordinate Taxa

Until recently, 32 subspecies were recognized. In 2000, mitochondrial DNA analysis showed that most of those are too similar to deserve subspecies recognition. In 2005, Mammal Species of the World recognized only six subspecies, and only one, eastern cougar (Puma concolor couguar), occurs in North America north of Latin America.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) concluded in 2011 that the eastern cougar (Puma concolor couguar) has been extinct since the 1930s. Subsequent sightings in the eastern United States, according to USFWS, represent individuals that escaped or were released from captivity, individuals of a western subspecies that have wandered east, misidentification of smaller cat species, and deception or self-deception (akin to“bigfoot” sightings).

Onl two subspecies are currently recognized.

North American mountain lion (Puma concolor couguar)

South American mountain lion (Puma concolor concolor)

   

Synonyms

Felis concolor

   

Common Names

cougar

mountain lion

panther

puma

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visitor Photos
 

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LJHarren

juveniles? not certain as these appear the size of Bobcats but tails are too long and ears are not tufted.

mountain lion   mountain lion

Ramona Abrego

Captive – Wildlife Science Center

mountain lion   mountain lion
     
mountain lion    
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
   

 

   

 

 

Camera

Slideshows

Cougar
DianesDigitals

Cougar
About

Copyright DianesDigitals

Cougar
Valerie

Cougar

Pumas (Cougars, Mountain Lions)
Steve Tracy Photography

Pumas (Cougars, Mountain Lions)

Mountain Lion Biology
MtnLionFdn

About

Uploaded on May 12, 2011

The Mountain Lion Foundation presents information about the biology and behavior of America's Lion, the mountain lion which is also known as cougar, panther, puma, painter, tyger, ghost walker, klandagi, cuguacuarana, leopardo, catamount, koe-ishto, ko-icto, el leon, mountain cat, mountain screamer, felis concolor, and puma concolor.

 

slideshow

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Other Videos

Puma Concolor Couguar
AC Vector Control Services

About

Uploaded on Aug 11, 2011

Mountain Lion (Puma concolor couguar) being trapped.

Cougars: From the Mountains to Hollywood | Nat Geo Live
National Geographic

About

Published on Jan 27, 2014

Wildlife photographer Steve Winter combines patience and groundbreaking technology to photograph North America's elusive and nocturnal big cat.

➡ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/NatGeoSubscribe

About National Geographic:
National Geographic is the world's premium destination for science, exploration, and adventure. Through their world-class scientists, photographers, journalists, and filmmakers, Nat Geo gets you closer to the stories that matter and past the edge of what's possible.

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The National Geographic Live! series brings thought-provoking presentations by today's leading explorers, scientists, photographers, and performing artists right to your YouTube feed. Each presentation is filmed in front of a live audience at National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C. New clips air every Monday.

Cougars: From the Mountains to Hollywood | Nat Geo Live
https://youtu.be/T-KxkcaLEVM

National Geographic
https://www.youtube.com/natgeo

Eastern Cougar Declared Extinct
The Global Report TV

About

Uploaded on Mar 11, 2011

The eastern cougar has been declared extinct, according to a report issued this past week by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Mountain Lion Stand Off With Hiker
Trevor Rasmussen

About

Published on Jul 16, 2015

Here is my standoff with a mountain lion that happened last summer in Glacier National Park. I did see the abscess when filming it and the first thing I did when I got out of the woods was report it to some rangers. I showed them the video, the abscess and told them the location where it happened. Fortunately it was in a place that was easy enough to remember and the park rangers were on top of it. :)

I was carrying bear spray.

https://www.facebook.com/FronkeyAdventures/

To use this video in a commercial player or in broadcasts, please email licensing@storyful.com Please like, comment and share. Thanks a lot!

 

Camcorder

Visitor Sightings
 

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Connie E
6/19/2025

Location: Lakeville, MN

Jumped 4ft fence ran through backyard and jumped other side of fence. Longer tail with some black body rusty colored but not as dark as a fox. Ran like a big cat with cat like tail. We live off cty rd 46 and high view.

LJHarren
5/17/2022

Location: Rogers, MN

juveniles? not certain as these appear the size of Bobcats but tails are too long and ears are not tufted.

mountain lion

Ramona Abrego

Location: Wildlife Science Center

Captive

mountain lion

MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings

 

 

 

Binoculars

 

Created: 1/8/2017

Last Updated:

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