COUGARS
LIONS OF THE MOUNTAINS
By Caitlind L. Alexander
A LearningIsland.com
15 - Minute Book
Editor: Jennifer Robinson
Pictures byPhotos.com
Smashwords Edition
(c) Copyright 2004 Caitlind L. Alexander. All rights reserved.
Published by LearningIsland.com.
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Cougars: Lions of the Mountains / Caitlind L. Alexander
Summary: A brief look at the lives of cougars.
1. Cougars. Juvenile Literature. 2. Wild Animals. Juvenile Literature.
Created in USA
Words: 1688
RL: 3.9
Ages 6-10
What Does a Cougar Look Like?
Cougars are large cats. They look much like the house cat that you can have for a pet, but they are much bigger.
Cougars have many names. They are also called mountain lions, pumas and panthers. But all these names are for the same animal.
These animals used to live all over North and South America. That's why they have so many names.
The name cougar used to be an Indian word. The Inca Indians of Peru called them pumas. Panther is the Greek word for leopard. Some early settlers named them panthers. The English pioneers called them mountain lions.
There are even some people who call them catamounts. That’s short for cat of the mountains.
Cougars come in several colors. Many are golden brown with dark marks on their face. Some of them, like the black panther, are totally black.
Male cougars are bigger than female cougars. Males can reach 180 pounds (82 kilograms). That’s as much as a full grown man weighs.
They can run up to 40 miles (64 kilometers) an hour. They can't run fast for very long, though, so they will try to run up a tree. Most animals that hunt cougars can't climb trees.
Cougars are shy. They don't usually attack people, especially people that are in groups.
If they have the chance, the cougar will hide or run away. A lot of times they will hide in the bushes. You may pass very near a cougar and not even know they are there. They can hide that well.
