(Felis concolor, or Puma concolor), also puma or mountain lion, a mammal of the family Felidae. The body length is usually 100–180 cm, the tail length 60-75 cm, and the weight approximately 100 kg. The cougar is brownish yellow, with the upper part of the body somewhat darker than the lower. The chin is almost white, and the tail is dark. The young have dark spots.
The cougar is found in the Americas, from Canada to Patagonia. It usually dwells along the edges of forests and in the mountains; it is occasionally encountered in steppes. The cougar is a nocturnal animal. A litter contains two or three cubs. Cougars are few in number throughout their range, and, in some places, they have been exterminated. They sometimes cause damage to livestock raising and the hunting industry. The hunting of cougars is restricted and, in some regions, forbidden.