The fresh cougar (Puma concolor), also known as slope lion, panther, painter, puma, and catamount, is the biggest feline creature in the United states.
Similar to Tennessee’s insane elk and you may buffalo, the fresh new cougar try extirpated about state around the early 1900s because of overhunting and habitat loss. not, the cougar is returning in order to Tennessee. There were some affirmed sightings in the Tennessee.
Brand new cougar is one of the relatives Felidae (cat family unit members) that is from the purchase Carnivora. This effective predator selections regarding 5 to 8 ? ft altogether duration and you will weighs out of 70 to 250 lbs, which have males being larger than female.
Grownups is actually large sleek cats that have small brains. The ears was black colored into the upper top and they are short and game with no tufts out of tresses. The latest muzzle is light to your stop and black colored where they satisfies your face.
Cougars has a lengthy heavy cylindrical tail varying in length regarding 20 in order to 31 inches, with the last few in blackish from inside the color. Claws try retractable consequently they are extremely seldom section of a track.
Cougar fur can be a good tan color into the higher bits that have light undersides. Moderate variations renders the fresh good brown cat possess a purple, yellow, otherwise grayish tinge.
No black color phase (termed melanistic) of a cougar have actually ever already been documented. There is, yet not, documents regarding melanistic jaguars (Panthera onca) you to live-in Mexico and you may southern area so you’re able to north Argentina, also melanistic leopards (Panthera pardus) for the Africa.
The fresh bobcat ‘s the only other creature from the pet (Felidae) family that can be found inside the Tennessee. Bobcats vary from cougars within dimensions, color, and you may end size. He could be much smaller than cougars, varying within the weight from ten in order to 40 pounds, whereas a beneficial cougar starts in the 70 pounds. The finish isn’t uniform when you look at the colour including the cougar’s however, is actually marked having black locations and you can streaks. They also have directed ears having locks tufts, in lieu of this new cougar. The newest bobcat’s tail seems “bobbed”, and therefore the newest animal’s identity, which can be typically step 3 to eight ins in total, that is short when compared with the fresh new end out-of an excellent cougar.
Diversity
The brand new cougar takes up the most thorough range of people New world terrestrial mammal, in the Canadian Yukon towards the southern tip out-of South america.
In america, cougars are now living in the fresh new west part and you may stretch eastward as far as the latest west 
edge of the Dakotas, Nebraska, and you may around the east borders regarding Colorado and Colorado.
A study composed on the Journal away from Wildlife Management inside 2012 accumulated verified locations regarding cougars collected beyond the founded assortment during 1990-2008.
The outcomes of one’s research advise that this new cougar is recolonizing this new Midwest with a selection extension eastward. It’s widely reported you to cougars take a trip countless kilometers from inside the search of the latest territory.
The brand new previous confirmed sightings in the Tennessee would be a result of so it range expansion and you can a lot of time exploratory walks by the transient cougars.
Considering that you will find large expanses ranging from Tennessee therefore the mainly based populations, it will likely be well before cougars make their family here.
1 – LaRue, M. A beneficial., Nielsen, C. K., Dowling, M., Miller, K., Wilson, B., Shaw, H. and you can Anderson, C. Roentgen. (2012), Cougars was recolonizing this new midwest: Analysis regarding cougar confirmations throughout the 1990–2008. The new Record out-of Animals Management, 76: 1364–1369. doi: /jwmg.396
Confirmed Sightings
Just like the , there had been several affirmed sightings from cougars inside the Tennessee. Speaking of given below and are shown in the Tennessee Verified Cougar Sightings Chart. Whenever more affirmed sightings occur, they will be additional appropriately.