{"id":9281,"date":"2021-08-10T06:54:34","date_gmt":"2021-08-10T06:54:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?p=9281"},"modified":"2021-08-12T11:13:54","modified_gmt":"2021-08-12T11:13:54","slug":"cougars-pumas-panthers-mountain-lions-difference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/cougars-pumas-panthers-mountain-lions-difference\/","title":{"rendered":"Cougars, Pumas, Panthers, And Mountain Lions: What\u2019s The Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You hear the names thrown around all the time. Cougars, pumas, panthers, mountain lions: what\u2019s the difference between them? Are there any differences at all? And, if they\u2019re all the same animal, why does this particular species of cat have so many different names? In this article, we\u2019ll talk about the cougar<\/a> – the cat of many names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the Difference Between Cougars, Pumas, and Mountain Lions?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"what<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The short answer is, there is no difference.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cougars are well known for having many different names, and each of these names refers to the same species of large cat. \u201cPuma\u201d<\/em> and \u201cMountain Lion\u201d <\/em>are some of the most common names for cougars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This begs the question: where did these different names come from? How and where did they originate?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The name \u201ccougar\u201d<\/em> is actually a cross between South American indigenous names for jaguar.<\/strong> The word was originally spelled \u201ccuguar\u201d<\/em> and was later changed to the current spelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite essentially being named after the jaguar, cougars are a separate species from jaguars. The jaguar is the largest cat in the Americas, while the cougar is the second largest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The name \u201cpuma\u201d<\/em> also got its start in South America, where it remains the most commonly used name for the cougar. \u201cPuma\u201d <\/em>means \u201cpowerful animal\u201d<\/em> in the Peruvian language Quechua.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, the scientific name of the cougar is Puma Concolor, <\/em>a name that combines the Peruvian word with a Latin word meaning \u201cof one color.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The name \u201cmountain lion\u201d<\/em> is commonly used throughout the western United States and Canada. It\u2019s a popular nickname that has become more widely used over time, but the name is actually quite misleading. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cougars are not related to lions, as they belong to the Puma genus. Actual lions belong to the Panthera genus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which leads us to the next question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are Cougars and Panthers the Same?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes cougars are referred to as panthers, but in fact, panthers belong to an entirely different genera.<\/strong> Cougars are in the puma species, while the term \u201cpanthers\u201d<\/em> refers to the panthera species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPanther\u201d<\/em> is basically a blanket term that can be applied to a variety of big cats found throughout the world, including jaguars, leopards, tigers, and lions. The same is true of black panthers – according to eMammal<\/a>, a division of the Smithsonian Institute, the term \u201cblack panther\u201d<\/em> refers to darkly colored leopards and jaguars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exception to the species rule is the Florida panther.<\/strong> Found in a small region of the Florida panhandle, these so-called panthers are actually a member of the puma genus, making them a subspecies of cougar (and one that is actually endangered<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out the following video to learn more about Florida panthers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JE4PjH1OZoM<\/a>