Viretailurus
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Puma Temporal range: Pliocene – Holocene, 3–0 Ma |
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| Cougar (Puma concolor) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Felidae |
| Tribe: | Acinonychini |
| Genus: |
Puma Jardine, 1834 |
| Type species | |
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Felis concolor Linnaeus, 1771 |
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| Species | |
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†Puma pardoides |
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| Puma ranges: Yellow area, Cougar only; Dark green area, Jaguarundi only; Light green area, both species. Sightings of jaguarundi in the dark green area occur only rarely. | |
| Synonyms | |
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Herpailurus Severtzow, 1858 |
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†Puma pardoides
†Puma pumoides
Puma yagouaroundi
†Puma inexpectatus?
†Puma trumani?
Puma concolor
Herpailurus Severtzow, 1858
?Miracinonyx Adams, 1979
Viretailurus Hemmer, 1965
Puma is a genus in Felidae that contains the cougar (also known as the puma, among other names) and the jaguarundi, and may also include several poorly known Old World fossil representatives (for example, Puma pardoides, or "Owen's panther," a large cougar-like cat of Eurasia's Pliocene). In addition to these potential Old World fossil there are a couple of New World fossil representatives such as Puma pumoides and possibly the two species of the so-called "American cheetah".
The puma is a large, secretive cat. They are also commonly known as cougars and mountain lions, and are able to reach larger sizes than other "big" cat individuals. Though despite their large size, it has been believed that they are more closely related to smaller feline species. There are 7 subspecies of puma, all of which have similar characteristics but tend to vary in color and size. Pumas are thought to be one of the most adaptable of felines on the American continents, for the fact that they are found in a variety of different habitats unlike other various cat species.
Members of the puma genus are primarily found in the mountains of North and South America, where a majority of individuals can be found in rocky crags and pastures slowly down lower than the slopes grazing herbivores inhabit. Though they choose to inhabit those kind of areas, they are highly adaptive and can really be found in a large variety of habitats including; forests, tropical jungle, grasslands, and even arid desert regions. Unfortunately, with the expansion of human settlements and land clearance, the cats are being pushed into smaller areas of habitat. Despite them being pushed into more hostile mountain areas, it is believed that their high adaptability allows for members of the genus to avoid disappearing from the wild forever.
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Wikipedia