The newest cougar (Puma concolor), also known as mountain lion, panther, artist, puma, and catamount, is the prominent feline animal during the United states.
Similar to Tennessee’s nuts elk and buffalo, the cougar is actually extirpated about county within very early 1900s due to overhunting and you will habitat losses. not, the latest cougar is generally going back so you’re able to Tennessee. There were some affirmed sightings into the Tennessee.
Brand new cougar is one of the nearest and dearest Felidae (cat relatives) which is on the acquisition Carnivora. It powerful predator ranges out of 5 to eight ? feet altogether duration and you can weighs in at out-of 70 to help you 250 pounds, with men are bigger than women.
Adults try high sleek pets with small minds. Their ears is black colored to the top front side as they are brief and you can round and no tufts out of hair. The fresh new muzzle are white with the end and black in which it suits your head.
Cougars enjoys an extended hefty cylindrical end ranging long of 20 to help you 30 in, toward last few in blackish within the colour. Claws is retractable as they are extremely rarely element of a track.
Cougar fur tends to be a good bronze color for the upper parts which have light undersides. Moderate variations helps make the fresh new solid brownish cat provides a red-colored, yellowish, otherwise grayish tinge.
Zero black colored color phase (called melanistic) away from a cougar keeps previously come recorded. Discover, yet not, documentation of melanistic jaguars (Panthera onca) one live in Mexico and you may southern to north Argentina, including melanistic leopards (Panthera pardus) from inside the Africa.
This new bobcat ‘s the only almost every other animal from the pet (Felidae) relatives that is available for the Tennessee. Bobcats differ from cougars within size, coloration, and you will tail size. They are much smaller compared to cougars, starting during the lbs away from ten to help you 40 lbs, while a great cougar begins within 70 lbs. The layer isn’t consistent in 
Assortment
Brand new cougar takes up the quintessential extensive selection of any New world terrestrial mammal, about Canadian Yukon to your south suggestion out-of South america.
In the united states, cougars live-in new west part and you will continue eastward as much as the new western side of the Dakotas, Nebraska, and you will near the east boundaries away from Texas and you may Texas.
A study typed about Diary from Animals Government inside 2012 accumulated verified urban centers from cougars accumulated outside of the established range throughout the 1990-2008.
The outcome of your own study recommend that the cougar is actually recolonizing the new Midwest that have a variety extension eastward. It is well documented you to cougars travel hundreds of kilometers in the search of brand new area.
The present verified sightings for the Tennessee is a direct result so it range expansion and you can much time exploratory treks by transient cougars.
Given that you can find highest expanses between Tennessee in addition to based communities, it is long before cougars make their family here.
step one – LaRue, M. An excellent., Nielsen, C. K., Dowling, Meters., Miller, K., Wilson, B., Shaw, H. and you can Anderson, C. R. (2012), Cougars are recolonizing the fresh new midwest: Research of cougar confirmations during 1990–2008. The brand new Record of Wildlife Government, 76: 1364–1369. doi: /jwmg.396
Verified Sightings
Because , there have been several confirmed sightings from cougars when you look at the Tennessee. Talking about the following and they are shown on the Tennessee Verified Cougar Sightings Map. Whenever alot more confirmed sightings exist, they will be added accordingly.