COUGAR 



higher pitch, vibrating on two notes. A third cry is a com- 

 bination of a short bark and howl and is given when the Wolf 

 is in full cry on a hot scent. 



Family Felidae. Cats 



Carnivorous mammals of medium to large size; form muscu- 

 lar and trim; head rounded; limbs of moderate length; feet 

 digitigrade, toes five in front, four behind; claws long, sharp, 

 retractile; tail short to long; dentition of shearing type with- 

 out broad, crushing surfaces; carnassial teeth highly devel- 

 oped; tongue with upper surface rasp-like; habit terrestrial 

 but able to climb trees; pelage fairly s^ort to moderately long. 



Genus Felis 



Dentition: Incisors, f ; Canines, {; Premolars, f ; Molars, J- = 30. 



Cougar, — Felis couguar' 



and related forms 

 Names.— Cougar; Puma; Mountain Lion; Panther; Painter. 

 General Description.— Largest of the New World unspotted 

 Cats; head proportionally rather small; body long and lithe; 

 tail long and cylindrical; five toes on forefeet, four on hind 

 feet, each with a long, sharp, retractile claw; gait digitigrade; 

 ears well developed, not tufted; pelage soft and rather short;' 

 color brownish. Plate XV. 



Color.— Sexes colored alike; no marked seasonal variation. 

 Upperparts dull yellowish brown or tawny; ears blackish 

 posteriorly and light-colored internally; taiflike back, dark 

 brown at tip; underparts paler than upperparts. 

 Immature yellowish brown spotted with blackish. 

 Measurements.— Males larger than females. Males, total 

 length, about 96 inches; tail vertebras, about 24-30 inches, 

 hind foot, 10 inches; weight, about 150 pounds. Females 

 about 12 inches shorter in total length. 



Geographical Distribution.— Formerly found over prac- 

 tically all of North America as far north as the Great Lakes, 



^ For a preliminary revision of the Pumas see C. H., Merriam Proc 

 Wask. Acad. Sci., Vol. iii, pp. 577-600, 1901. This group has not been 

 adequately revised, and the geographic ranges given in this field book 

 are provisional. 



