THE ORDERS OF MAMMALS 429 



occurs in the northern United States and in Canada. The 

 puma, cougar, mountain lion, or panther, reaches a length of 

 over eight feet, of which the tail constitutes about three feet. 

 Pumas make their homes in rocky caverns or in forests. They 

 prey upon many kinds of animals, frequently causing much 

 damage by killing young colts; but they do not attack man 

 unless cornered. The jaguar is the largest American cat, but 

 only occasionally enters the southern United States from Mexico, 

 where it is common. It is afraid of man, but is a dangerous 

 enemy of deer, horses, cattle, and other animals. 



The largest living cat is the tiger, whose body reaches a length 

 of ten feet ; it is most abundant in southern Asia. The lion is 

 found in Africa and certain parts of Asia ; it is slightly smaller 

 than the tiger. The cheetah, or hunting leopard, occurs in parts 

 of Asia and Africa. In India it is trained to capture game. 



AQUATIC CARNIVORES.- -The aquatic carnivores are greatly 

 modified for life in the water. The hands and feet are fully 

 webbed, and serve as swimming organs, and the body has ac- 

 quired a fishlike form suitable for progress through the water. 



The sea lion family includes the sealions and fur seals. The 

 fur seal breeds on the Pribilof Islands in Bering Sea, but at other 

 times occurs along the coast of California. Fur seals are polyg- 

 amous, and a single old male maintains control over from six 

 to thirty females. One young is produced each year. The 

 three-year-old males, called " bachelors," are the ones killed for 

 their fur. The California sea lion is the member of this family 

 most often seen in captivity. Squids, shellfish, and crabs are its 

 principal articles of food. Its fur is short, coarse, and valueless. 



The walrus family contains the Atlantic walrus and the Pacific 

 walrus (Fig. 296). An adult male walrus is ten or twelve feet 

 long and weighs almost a ton. The canine teeth of the upper jaw 

 are very long, and are used to dig up mollusks and crustaceans 

 from the muddy bottoms, and to climb up on the blocks of ice 

 in the Arctic seas, where it lives. Walruses have been almost 

 exterminated for their ivory, skins, and oil. 



