Mountain Lion
Least Concern
Forest/Grassland/Desert
North and South America
Nocturnal
Carnivorous
California Trail
Characteristics
Also known as the cougar, puma, or catamount, the mountain lion is a large, slender cat species native to the Americas. Their bodies are covered in a short, coarse fur that is primarily tawny-beige, except for the white coloration on their throat and chest. Their noses are noticeably pink and bordered by black muzzle stripes that extend behind their ears. The tips of their tails are also black.
On average, male mountain lions can weigh between 115-220 pounds, while females are typically a little over half the size. However, their body size can vary greatly depending on their geographic location. The smallest individuals are often found closer to the equator, while the largest are found closer to the poles.
Habitat & Ecology
These adaptable big cats are found in a broad range of habitat types; however studies have shown that they seem to prefer areas with dense understory vegetation. This species has, historically, had the most extensive distribution of all American mammals. They once ranged from coast to coast in North America, as far north as Alaska, and as far south as Argentina and Chile. However, due to both unintentional and intentional human disruptions such as hunting pressures and habitat destruction, mountain lions were eliminated from the entire eastern half of North America within 200 years of European colonization. Only a remaining endangered sub-population persists in Florida and is often referred to as the Florida panther.
Mountain lions are considered apex predators in their ecosystems and are instrumental in controlling populations of large, hoofed animals, like deer, moose, and elk. They are considered an “umbrella species” by conservationists, meaning that when habitat is preserved for mountain lion populations, countless other plant and animal species sharing that habitat also benefit.
Diet
Like all cats, mountain lions are strict carnivores. Throughout most of their range, this species will prey on various species of ungulates (hoofed mammals) such as moose, elk, and deer. They also will hunt smaller mammals like squirrels, beavers, raccoons, and sometimes even snails or fish. In areas where agricultural development has expanded into their range, they will occasionally come into conflict with humans after preying on domestic livestock, like sheep or goats.
Mountain lions are stealthy predators who hunt primarily at dawn and dusk. They will either lie in wait or silently stalk their prey before pouncing from behind and delivering a lethal bite to the spinal cord. They have also been known to cache prey, dragging carcasses up to 350 meters from the place of capture and burying them to return to later.
Behavior & Reproduction
These cats live their lives primarily alone. They maintain territories of up to 20-33 square miles. If people had to live that far apart, there would only be about 3 or 4 people living in all of Oakland! The only exception to mountain lions living alone is the 1-6 days they spend together mating, or when mothers raise their cubs. While a female mountain lion can go into estrus at any point in the year, breeding season is typically concentrated around December through March. Females will give birth every other year and birth an average of 3-4 cubs at a time. In some instances, a female can birth up to 6 cubs at a time. Cubs will stay with their mother for up to two years to learn all the necessary skills to compete in the wild.
Mountain Lions are primarily nocturnal, but lean towards crepuscular tendencies, active during dawn or dusk. Instead of communicating with each other or with other animals by seeing each other in person, they rely on other methods of communication. They will mark their territories with scratch marks and deposit urine or fecal matter at the base of trees. These cats will use low-pitch hisses, growls, purrs, and most famously, screams. Mountain lions will “scream” as a mating behavior. This scream sounds like a woman screaming, which has earned them the name “Mountain Screamer.”
Mountain Lion Cam
Watch our mountain lions live on cam as they roam, rest, and play in their habitat.
18-20 years in the wild
December-March
3-4
Every other year
Conservation
Mountain Lions are listed as Least Concerned by the IUCN, but certain regional populations vary in status. The most endangered subspecies being the Florida panther, of which only 120-230 remain in the wild. Mountain Lions are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation due to human encroachment. Unfortunately, car strikes are the main cause of death for mountain lions. Because of heavily trafficked roads, like highways and freeways, there is a major barrier to mountain lion movement and dispersal.
Fascinating Facts
- Mountain Lions have the largest geographic range of any terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere. Ranging from Canada, all the way to Central and South America.
- Cougar, puma, panther, catamount, painter, ghost cat… these are just six of the over 40 different English names for mountain lions. Mountain lions have more names than any other animal in the world!
- Mountain lions have historically been considered part of the small cat family due to their inability to roar. However, with recent genetic discoveries, they have now been placed in their own lineage between large and small cats along with jaguarundi and cheetahs.
About Our Animals
Oakland Zoo is home to three mountain lions, Silverado, Coloma, and Briar. Silverado and Coloma were both rescued in 2017 at less than 2 months old. Both of our lions were orphaned, likely due to car strikes or depredation hunting. Unfortunately, cubs need to stay with their mothers for their first two years to learn vital survival skills. This means that orphaned cubs are not fit for the wild and cannot be released.
Silverado was named after Silverado Canyon, where he was found in someone’s backyard. He is very sociable and loves interacting with keepers and seeking out attention from them. He is very bonded to his roommate Coloma, and they can often be spotted cuddled up in their hammocks. Coloma was named after Coloma County, where two hikers discovered her on the side of the road. Coloma is extremely intelligent and has shown a preference for more complex enrichment items. Since they’re most active at night, Silverado and Coloma are most often spotted snoozing in the trees up at the California Trail.
Our most recent addition, Briar, was rescued as an orphaned cub in August of 2024. In March of 2025, he became an official Oakland Zoo resident! Briar is still acclimating in his new home, so he spends some time both on and off exhibit.
Our Role
Oakland Zoo works with California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and Bay Area Cougar Action Team (BACAT) as active support for caring for injured or orphaned mountain lions. As of Jan 2024, Oakland Zoo has treated over 30 rescued mountain lions since 2018. Oakland Zoo also works with the Mountain Lion Foundation to create wildlife corridors that travel under/over busy vehicle interstates, allowing for safe passage of all animals.
You can learn more about what the Oakland Zoo is doing for mountain lions here.
