Mountain lion sitting on a granite ledge

Who's that cat?

Mountain lion cub

Cats may not really have nine lives, but one really cool cat has almost that many names! The mountain lion, the largest wildcat in North America, is also called puma, cougar, panther, and catamount. Maybe mountain lions have so many names because there are so many interesting things to learn about them!

Mountain lion walking towards the camera with mouth slightly open

Use your legs

Mountain lions are a little over 2 feet tall at the shoulder, and their tails are over 2 feet long. They have such strong legs they can leap as high as 15 feet—that’s higher than most one-story houses! They can also jump as far as 40 feet.

Mountain lion sitting in the shade of a shrub

Here, there, everywhere?

Except for people, mountain lions have the largest range of any mammal in the Western Hemisphere—from Canada to Argentina! You can also see them at the San Diego Zoo!