India is known to be the homeland of many wild exotic species for both plants and animals. Even in the unexplored mountain ranges and deep forests one could find many endemic species there which are even not explored or studied.
Pumas vs Cougar
The difference between Pumas and cougars is that their habitat, native place, and food habits differ from each other. Puma is found in tropical areas and arid regions and is native to South and North America and they generally prey upon large animals while comparatively, on the other hand, Cougar is found in almost every habitat and these mammals usually prey on small animals and are native to the ranges from the Andes to Yukon.
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This is so because to easily stalk upon their prey like – deer, goat, bighorn sheep, etc. These are generally heavy that is so because on average puma weighs around 220 pounds.
On an average basis, a cougar weighs up to 150 pounds and they are native to the ranges of the southern Andes and northern Yukon. The size of the cougars is said to be up to 8 feet.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Pumas | Cougar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Felis concolour | Puma concolour |
| Habitat | They are found in arid regions, grasslands, and tropical forests | Almost in every type of habitat |
| Diet | Large animals like – raccoons, coati, deer, bighorn sheep, goats, etc | Carnivorous animals like – moose, elk, badger, coyote, etc |
| Found in | South and North America | Mountain ranges of the southern Andes and northern Yukon |
| Weight | Male – 115 – 220 pounds Female – 64 – 141 pounds | Male – 150 pounds Female – 121 pounds |
| Size | Ranges between 6 feet to 8 feet | Up to 8 feet |
| Enemies | Beer and wolves | Beer and wolves only but due to food competition |
| Lifespan | 12 to 25 years | 10 to 20 years |
What is Pumas?
Pumas is a member of the cat family and is native to North and South America. The appearance of the pumas is said to be dull and the color of the fur coat of their body varies from silver-grey to reddish-brown.
The paws and claws of the mammals are large and they had round faces, erected ears, the size of the tail is also large. The average size of weight of a male is about 115 to 220 pounds and the average size weight of a female is about 64 to 141 pounds.
The height or the size of the mammal varies from 6 feet to 8 feet. The major enemies of the animal are beer and wolves.
What is Cougar?
Cougar is also a member of the cat family and the native place of the species is the ranges of the southern Andes and northern Yukon. The cat has a fur coat with a greyish tan to a reddish hue in color.
But unlikely, they have very large paws helping them in hunting down their prey more effectively. The scientific name thus given to the species by the IUCN is Puma concolour.
The average weight of the male cougar is about 150 pounds and the average weight of the female is about 121 pounds. The height of the mammal is about 8 feet long while the average lifespan of the species is considered as 10 to 20 years.
Main Differences Between Pumas and Cougar
- The main enemies said to be for pumas are the bear and wolves while comparatively, on the other hand, the main enemies for cougar are also bear and wolves due to the competition for food.
- The lifespan of a puma is up to 12 years and when they are held captivated is 25 years while comparatively, on the other hand, the lifespan of the cougar is about 10 to 12 years.
References
- https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2006.00215.x
- https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/full/10.1139/cjz-2012-0147
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13364-016-0292-y
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
