text x_quick_Title2=Class: Mammalia~Order: Carnivora~Family: Felidae~(Felis concolor)
text x_quick=Where In the World~` It's possible that there are no more breeding cougars in the east, no breeding population has been identified in the east since the 1920s.~` Once, eastern cougars ranged throughout the east, from Michigan and Indiana east to the Atlantic coast and from southern Canada south to Tennessee and South Carolina.~` Today, rare and isolated individuals may possibly live in the mountains of North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. In addition, there may be some in the less populated parts of Pennsylvania. Other eastern states occasionally have sightings, but few (if any) are confirmed.~ ~Take a Look!~` A large eastern cougar can be almost five feet long, plus a three-foot-long tail.~` The very largest can weigh up to 250 pounds.~` Until the jaguar became extinct in North America, it was the largest cat in the U.S. Today, the cougar is the largest.~` Cougars can be "blond" (ranging from buff-coloured to cinnamon red) or "dark" (with coats from silvery to~slate grey).~ ~All in the Family~` Cougars are closely related to two other cats from Central and South America, the jaguar and the smaller jaguarundi.~ ~Just the Facts~` Cougars are unusually solitary, the only close bond is between a mother and her cubs.~` Cougars are intensely shy of people. One of the reasons no one can tell if there are any eastern cougars left is because the cougars are so adept at staying away from humans.~` Cougars live in wilderness lands where there is plenty of prey and very little human activity.~` Cougars are meat-eaters. They often hunt and catch deer. If no deer are available, they can hunt bigger animals (elk and moose) or smaller animals (beavers, rabbits, rats, racoons, birds, even porcupines).~` Adult cougars only meet when a male and female mate. Otherwise, they stay well away from each other. ~` The mother cougar finds a suitable, safe den, and gives birth to one to six cubs (usually three or four). Unlike the adults, cougar cubs are playful and affectionate.~` The cubs stay with their mother for most of their first year. When they set out on their own, litter mates may stay with each other for another two or three years. Then they, too, long for the solitary life of an adult cougar.~` Cougars can live for over 20 years.
;Habitat
text x_hab= Cougars are remarkably adaptable. The only thing they seem to not like are bare deserts - and humans. There are cougars from Nova Scotia, down through the United States, across Central America, through much of South America, and down to the Patagonia region at the end of the continent. Few animals can claim such a vast range. The eastern cougar was once found from Michigan and Indiana east to the Atlantic coast, and from Ontario, Canada to Tennessee and South Carolina. In the southeastern parts of the U.S., the eastern cougar is (or was) replaced by the endangered Florida panther, a cougar subspecies. ~\
Cougars can live in mountain forests, lowland tropical forests, swamps, grassland, dry brush country, or just about any other area that has cover and prey. The eastern cougar lives in forest land, generally in the mountains. Because the east coast is so densely populated, the eastern cougar has retreated to the most isolated and wild parts of the Appalachian mountains and to other regional mountain ranges. ~\
Like all species, the eastern cougar has four basic needs. Its habitat must provide a source of food - prey species like the white-tailed deer fill this need for the cougar. There must be a year-round water supply. The cougar needs plenty of cover, to rest and hide. (The cougar also hunts from ambush, so cover is essential.) Finally, there must be places where young can be raised safely.
;Food
text x_eat= The eastern cougar stalks its prey, creeping as close as it dares without being seen. Then it leaps to the back of its victim and kills with a bite to the neck. If the animal is large, the cougar won't be able to eat it in one effort. So the cat covers the body with leaves and dirt - the cougar will return several times over the next few days to finish its meal. An adult male usually can go for about two and a half weeks on one deer, however a nursing mother has to have a deer about every three days. ~\
When deer are plentiful, the cougar hunts them almost exclusively. When there aren't as many deer, the cat will hunt whatever is available. A cougar can hunt and kill a moose or elk that is up to six times heavier than itself. But if there aren't any moose or elk, cougars will hunt for racoons, rabbits, birds, beavers, or porcupines. ~\
Cougars are powerful hunters, but not every hunt is successful. The cougar can sprint up to 30 miles an hour, but it has very little stamina. If an animal tries to run, the cougar will give up very quickly if the hunt isn't successful right away. And when a cougar hunts something big, like an elk or a moose, it runs a big risk - these are big animals. An elk or moose can swat at a cougar with its huge antlers, and deal out lethal kicks. So the cougar must be careful in its attack. Often, the cougar won't attack unless the prey animal is sick, injured, very old, or very young.
;Habits and Characteristics
text x_life= Adult cougars will do just about anything to be alone. They stay away from each other by marking their territories and rarely trespassing, and they stay away from humans by using their excellent hearing to tell them when people are drawing near. Then they run silently through their forest home and stay well out of sight. Cougars meet very briefly when they mate. They leave each other as soon as they can. The mother finds a safe den where she can raise her cubs in safety. (Sometimes she makes the den herself, sometimes she has to "evict" a smaller, less-well-armed occupant. Not many animals can say "no" to a cougar!) She is pregnant for a little more than three months. When her cubs are born, they're blind and helpless - she cares for them~with loving devotion. ~\
She may have as few as one and as many as six cubs, but the most common litter sizes are three and four. Her babies weigh between a half and a whole pound and have fuzzy coats with spots all over them - they look like little leopards! The spots are camouflage, their light and dark pattern looks like shadows so its easier for the young cats to hide. Soon their eyes open, and they begin to explore the area around their den. There are lots of important "chores" a cougar kitten has to attend to - first, there must be a great deal of alertly watching the wind in the grasses. Then, a large portion of time must be spent sniffing around the den area, following any smell that seems particularly interesting. Of course much of the time must be occupied by attacking and subduing the twitching tail of a very patient mother. Lastly, many "cat naps" are needed to keep up all the strength a cougar cub must have for its daily rounds.~\
Each of these "vital chores" is actually very important. Watching waving grasses helps the cub hone its vision skills. The sniffing game will eventually turn into the ability to follow prey. And pouncing on Mum's tail not only increases coordination, but gives the cub practice at hitting a moving target. By the time the cubs are old enough to want to be on his or her own, all the skills to be a successful hunter must be in place. Play time for a cougar cub is practice for being alone in the wilderness.~\
By the age of six months, the cubs have learned a great deal from their powerful mother. Their spotted coats fade into a tawny pelt that matches Mum's beautiful fur. The cubs stay with their mother for almost a year, gaining the experience they need to live on their own. Even after they leave her, litter mates may stay together for a few more years. Eventually, all cougars end up longing for solitude. By the time they're three, each cougar will be on his or her own. Their hunting abilities are excellent, they can sprint up to 30 miles an hour for short distances, and
