The latest cougar (Puma concolor), called mountain lion, panther, artist, puma, and catamount, ‘s the biggest feline creature inside The united states.
The same as Tennessee’s nuts elk and you can buffalo, the fresh new cougar are extirpated on the condition in the very early 1900s due to overhunting and you can habitat losings. However, brand new cougar may be returning to help you Tennessee. There had been certain affirmed sightings in Tennessee.
The fresh new cougar is one of the loved ones Felidae (cat nearest and dearest) that’s in the purchase Carnivora. This powerful predator range of 5 to eight ? feet as a whole length and you will weighs off 70 in order to 250 weight, with men becoming bigger than ladies.
People try higher sleek cats which have brief brains. The ears is black into upper front and therefore are quick and round no tufts out of tresses. New muzzle is white for the prevent and you will black where they joins the head.
Cougars have an extended hefty cylindrical end starting in length out-of 20 to 30 inches, to your last couple of inches blackish into the color. Claws is actually retractable and generally are most rarely section of a tune.
Cougar fur may be a good tan colour into upper parts which have light undersides. Limited differences makes the newest good brown cat keeps a purple, yellow, or grayish tinge.
No black colored color stage (called melanistic) away from a beneficial cougar provides previously been documented. There was, but not, documents away from melanistic jaguars (Panthera onca) one live in Mexico and you may south to help you north Argentina, including melanistic leopards (Panthera pardus) inside the Africa.
The newest bobcat ‘s the only other creature of the cat (Felidae) family that is available into the Tennessee. Bobcats change from cougars inside their dimensions, coloration, and you may tail length. He’s much smaller compared to cougars, varying from inside 
the weight out of ten to 40 pounds, whereas an excellent cougar begins at 70 weight. Their coating is not consistent when you look at the colour like the cougar’s but was marked that have black spots and streaks. They likewise have directed ears that have hair tufts, in the place of the new cougar. This new bobcat’s tail appears “bobbed”, hence the newest animal’s term, and that’s normally step 3 to eight inches in total, which is short in comparison with brand new tail away from a beneficial cougar.
Diversity
The brand new cougar occupies the essential detailed variety of any New world terrestrial mammal, throughout the Canadian Yukon toward southern area suggestion away from South usa.
In the usa, cougars live-in new west region and you may offer eastward as much as new western edge of the Dakotas, Nebraska, and you may around the eastern boundaries of Texas and you may Texas.
A study typed on the Log out of Animals Government from inside the 2012 amassed affirmed metropolitan areas from cougars compiled outside of their based variety throughout 1990-2008.
The results of your own analysis recommend that the fresh new cougar are recolonizing the newest Midwest with a selection expansion eastward. It is well documented you to definitely cougars take a trip numerous miles when you look at the lookup of brand new territory.
The new latest affirmed sightings during the Tennessee would be due to so it variety extension and you will much time exploratory treks by transient cougars.
Considering the fact that discover highest expanses ranging from Tennessee while the depending populations, it’ll be well before cougars make their family here.
step 1 – LaRue, Yards. An effective., Nielsen, C. K., Dowling, M., Miller, K., Wilson, B., Shaw, H. and you may Anderson, C. R. (2012), Cougars is actually recolonizing the newest midwest: Investigation regarding cougar confirmations while in the 1990–2008. Brand new Journal from Animals Administration, 76: 1364–1369. doi: /jwmg.396
Confirmed Sightings
Because , there are a number of affirmed sightings out-of cougars during the Tennessee. These are given just below and are also exhibited throughout the Tennessee Verified Cougar Sightings Chart. When a lot more verified sightings exist, they’ll certainly be added correctly.