Pumas

With a range from the Yukon (Canada) to the Strait of Magellan, at the tip of South America, the puma is THE big cat of the Americas – despite being known under different names in different parts of the continent. In Patagonia, the puma a.k.a the mountain lion, can reach a length of 1.8 to 2.4 metres for adult males (1.5 to 2.1 metres for adult females) and weigh 50 to 82 kg (36 to 59 kg for females). Interestingly enough, a puma’s tail is almost as long as its head and body combined.

Unlike other big cats, pumas do not live in packs or prides and they roam large territories to hunt and find enough food. Pumas use stealth and strength, like leopards, to kill their prey, using their very athletic body that allows them to run at 80 km/h and jump as high as 4.5 metres. To communicate, pumas use whistles, screams, squeaks and purrs, but they don’t roar!