THE CAT FAMILY 



{FelidcB) 



HE family of Cats is one of the most sharply defined of all the Carnivores 

 or flesh-eating animals. Whether seen in its most familiar form, the House 

 Cat, or in the larger members from the jungle, such as the Lion or Tiger, 

 the strong family traits can instantly be noted. These are not only found 

 in the peculiar shape of the skull and the facial traits, but also in certain, 

 characteristic habits, such as washing the face, "sharpening" the claws, and 

 contracting the pupils of the eyes. 



The Cats have long, sharp retractile claws. The feet are digitigrade, 

 with five toes on each fore foot, and four on each hind foot. The soles are 

 hairy, and pads naked. The tongue is covered with sharp, horny, back- 

 wardly directed papillae. The powerful jaw is armed with a large shearing 



tooth, or carnassial. The skull is short and broad, with a very short face. The clavicles 



do not articulate, or hinge, with the scapulae or sternum. 



In America there are four or five typical large members of this family living in a wild 



state. 



COUGAR 



Felis couguar Kerr 



Other Names. — Panther, Puma, Mountain Lion, 

 Catamount. 



General Description. — A very large, cat-like animal 

 with a long tail. Body long and lithe ; legs moderately 

 long; tail long and round, more than half the length 

 of head and body ; claws long, sharp, curved ; soles 

 haired, pads naked ; general color pale tawny brown 

 above, dirty white below ; tail tipped with black ; ears 

 prominent, without tufts of long hair. Young spotted. 



Dental Formula. — Incisors, ^^ ; Canines, '-^— ; 



3—3 I— I 



Premolars, — - ; Molars, ^— ^ = 30. 



2 — 2 * I— r 



Pelage. — Adults: No difference between the sexes 

 and color in winter much the same as in summer. 

 Color variable ; upper parts from yellowish to reddish 

 brown, darkest along the middle of back; beneath dirty 

 white ; black patch at base of whiskers ; lips and chin 

 white; back of ear black; tip of tail dusky; hair every- 

 where rather close, thick and soft to the touch ; 

 whiskers prominent. Young : Spotted in the first coat, 

 the ground color being tan, the spots dark brown. 



Measurements. — Length, 7 feet ; tail, 30 inches ; hind 

 foot, 10 inches. Se.xes about equal, the male about a 

 foot longer than female. Weight of male, 200 pounds. 



Range. — Formerly throughout eastern North Amer- 

 ica from about the Canadian line south to the Gulf, but 

 now extinct in the easternmost part of this region. 



Food. — Mammals and birds ; especially destructive 

 to deer, elk and domestic stock, colts in particular. 



Remarks. — This beautiful animal while formerly 



known all over eastern North America has been driven 

 out by civilization and the disappearance of its prey 

 until now it is nowhere found in anything like its 

 original numbers until the western part of its range is 

 reached. Cougars are found throughout western 

 North America and on the Pacific Coast as well, but 

 this animal differs enough from the eastern form to be 

 given another name. The Cougar, like the Grizzly 

 Bear, has received various treatments at the hands of 

 the classifiers, but for the purpose of this book, it is 

 best to consider the group north of the Rio Grande as 

 being composed of 5 species and subspecies. 



Related Species 



Eastern Cougar. — Fclis couguar Kerr. Typical 

 animal as described above. Eastern North America 

 from Canada south to the Gulf. 



Southern Cougar. — Fclis coryi Bangs. Legs long; 

 feet small ; color ferruginous brown. Florida. 



Oregon Cougar. — Fclis oregonensis orcgoncnsis 

 Rafinesque. Size large. Northwest coast east to 

 Rocky Mountains. 



Rocky Mountain Cougar. — Fclis orcgoncnsis Iiifpo- 

 Icstcs (Merriam). Above, pale fulvous brown, darkest 

 on the back ; tip of tail black ; face to eyes grayish- 

 brown ; under side soiled white; under side of tail 

 grayish-white. Rocky Mountains. 



Brown Cougar. — Fclis actcca browni Merriam. 

 Paler and grayer than eastern Cougar. Size probably 

 smaller. Southern California and Arizona. 



[145I 



