what is a puma

A puma, also known as a cougar, mountain lion, catamount, or panther, is a large cat native to the Americas. It is the second largest cat in the Americas, after the jaguar. Pumas are not technically grouped with the "true" big cats, as they are slightly smaller. They are adaptable, generalist species, occurring in most American habitat types, and are found in every mainland country in Central and South America, making them the most widely distributed large, wild, terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere. Pumas are primarily found in the mountains of North and South America, where they inhabit a variety of different habitats, including forests, tropical jungle, grasslands, and arid desert regions. They are known for their thick fur coat, which varies in color from brown-yellow to grey-red depending on their subspecies and habitat location. Pumas are ambush predators, feeding on smaller mammals and wild deer, and are capable of taking down larger prey like guanaco in Patagonia. They are the dominant predator in their environment but face threats from bears, wolves, and humans, who have traditionally hunted them for their thick fur and encroached on their habitats through expanding farmlands and development. Pumas rarely attack humans, with attacks usually occurring when they feel cornered or threatened, or in cases of severe starvation. The puma has the widest distribution of any New World mammal, ranging from southeastern Alaska to southern Argentina and Chile, and has a maximum known lifespan of 18 years).