Are there any cougars in Alabama?

Are there any cougars in Alabama?

Cougars probably were extirpated from Alabama in the mid-1800s. Occasional sightings suggest free-ranging pumas, of unknown origin, occasionally may be present in Alabama, but there is no self-sustaining population currently known.

What kind of big cats live in Alabama?

“Alabama has two native cats. The first and largest is the mountain lion, also called a cougar, catamount, painter, puma or panther,” Marks wrote. “Cougars are tawny brown to grayish in color, weighing from 75 to 120 pounds, and can reach a length of about 6½ feet, nose to tail.

What kind of wild cats live in Alabama?

Alabama has two native cats. The first and largest is the mountain lion, also called a cougar, catamount, painter, puma or panther. Cougars are tawny brown to grayish in color, weighing from 75 to 120 pounds, and can reach a length of about 6½ feet, nose to tail.

How do you tell a mountain lion from a cougar?

All cougars have a tawny coat with a lighter underbelly. However, differences in coloration are seen depending on the climate. Mountain lions may have silvery, slightly longer fur, while cougars from warm areas – the Florida panther and the South American cougar – have a more reddish coloration.

Do mountain lions live in Alabama?

Although mountain lions have not been documented in Alabama for a number of decades, we are eager to see any real evidence of them since they are found in some neighboring states. Most pictures we are sent are domestic cats or bobcats, and others are foxes, coyotes, domestic dogs, and even raccoons.

How many mountain lions live in Alabama?

In Alabama, no mountain lion/vehicle collisions have been confirmed for at least 60 years and there is no self-sustaining population of mountain lions currently known in Alabama. Resident populations appear to have been extirpated from Alabama in the mid-1800s.

Are mountain lions the same as pumas?

The mountain lion—also known as the cougar, puma, panther, or catamount—is a large cat species native to the Americas. Mountain lions are large, tan cats.

Are there cougars or mountain lions in Alabama?

Are there black cougars in Alabama?

There are no black panthers, not in Alabama or anywhere else in North America. There has never been a confirmed black mountain lion, aka panther, puma or cougar, Felis concolor, the primary big cat of North America. The normal color is tan, brown, or rust.

Are there mountain lions or mountain lions in Alabama?

“However, just because we don’t have any confirmation yet doesn’t mean there isn’t a possibility that mountain lions (or cougars) are here.” The state investigates all reported sightings, but there hasn’t been any documented evidence of a big cat in Alabama since 1947, when a Florida panther was killed in Chilton County.

Are there Cougars in the state of Alabama?

The state of Tennessee had four cougar sightings in 2015, the first confirmed in about 100 years. Does this mean there could be cougars in Alabama? A wildlife biologist for Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources says it’s possible.

Where do cougars live in the United States?

Loss of suitable habitat coupled with decades of unregulated hunting and trapping and eradication programs have significantly reduced the cougar’s range. Today, the cat’s range within the United States is restricted to regions around the Rocky Mountains of the West.

Where can you find mountain lions in Florida?

The nearest self-sustaining known wild population of mountain lions, called the Florida panther, is found in southwest Florida. They reside in the second largest uninhabited block of land east of the Mississippi River. Panther/vehicle collisions are noted in Florida on a regular basis.