The mother nurses them for three months or so, but they can eat meat at about six weeks of age. At six months old, their spots begin to fade, and they learn to hunt. They continue to live with the mother until 12 to 18 months. As more people have moved into the mountain lion's territory, the number of encounters with these cats has increased.
This is often "big news" and frightens people. But overall, meeting a mountain lion is an unlikely event. You can avoid them, too, by not hiking alone, or at dusk and dawn when mountain lions are hunting. If you do happen across a mountain lion, never approach it—always give it a way to escape. When Europeans first settled North America, mountain lions lived from coast to coast. But the cats soon came to be viewed as varmints—killers of livestock.
Due in major part to the bounty system, the cats are now confined to the West, except for a small population in Florida. Some people continue to shoot them on sight, or trap or poison them.
Mountain lions have an essential role to play in their ecosystems. They are one of the top predators, and without them, populations of deer and herbivores would become unhealthy and too large for the habitat.
But people like to live and play in or near natural habitats, so we need to understand and respect the wildlife that lives there. If we take responsibility for our own actions, pets, livestock, and property, we can learn to live with mountain lions and appreciate their power and grace. Black markings decorate the tip of the tail, ears, and around the snout. Mountain lions vary hugely in average body size depending on geographic location—their size is smallest closer to the equator and largest closer to the poles.
Generally, though, males weigh between and pounds 52 and kilograms and females weigh between 64 and pounds 29 and 64 kilograms. Mountain lions inhabit a wide range of ecosystems, making their home anywhere there is shelter and prey, including mountains, forests, deserts, and wetlands. They are territorial and have naturally low population densities, which means the species requires large swaths of wilderness habitat to thrive.
Mountain lions are stealthy predators, hunting at night and often lying in wait for prey or silently stalking it before pouncing from behind and delivering a lethal bite to the spinal cord. Typically they prey on deer, but also feed on smaller animals, even insects, when necessary. Like all cats, mountain lions are strict carnivores, and they only rarely consume vegetation.
Mountain lions can breed year-round. Female mountain lions usually give birth every two years. Litters can range in size from one to six cubs. The young may stay with their mother for as long as 26 months, but usually separate after about 15 months. In the wild, a mountain lion can live up to 10 years. In captivity, they can live up to 21 years. The historic range of the mountain lion included almost all of North and South America. They will fight other lions, even to the death, to protect their territory.
A female with kittens will move to a new den site within her territory every few weeks to protect her kittens from predators and male lions.
Opportunistic hunters, mountain lions typically hunt alone from dusk to dawn, taking their prey primarily deer from behind. On average, a lion will kill a deer about once a week.
They also dine on coyotes, raccoons, rodents, elk, feral hogs, and even porcupines. They may drag the meal to another area and cover it with dry leaves, grass or pine needles to protect the food from other animals and to reduce spoilage. A mountain lion may return to feed at the site over a period of several days.
To deer, yes! To people, not so much. Human encounters with mountain lions are rare and the risk of an attack is infinitely small. You are more likely to drown in your bathtub, be killed by a pet dog, or hit by lightning.
If lions had any natural urge to hunt people, there would be attacks every single day. Instead, they avoid us. But if you live, work, or play in cat country, be alert! Avoid walking alone between dusk and dawn when lions are most active. Keep your children and pets close to you. Never approach or corner a mountain lion or any wild animal. If you do encounter a mountain lion, STOP. Unlike safety advice for encountering bears, do not act timid or play dead in front of a cat. Instead: Maintain eye contact.
Stand tall. Look bigger by opening your coat or raising your arms. Back to Your Safety Top of Page. Please note that if you are calling between pm and 10 am, park staff may not be available to answer your call.
Explore This Park. Point Reyes National Seashore California. Info Alerts Maps Calendar Reserve. Alerts In Effect Dismiss. Dismiss View all alerts. Your Safety in Mountain Lion Habitat. We offer the following recommendations to increase your safety: Do not hike alone. Hike in groups, with adults supervising children.
Keep children close to you. Keep children within your sight at all times. If you see a mountain lion: Stay calm. Hold your ground or back away slowly. Face the lion and stand upright. Do not approach a lion.
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