Last Updated on December 6, 2023 by Amin Tawar
Mountain Lion/Cougar Height & Length
The cougar, Puma concolor, is a huge cat that is indigenous to America. They are known by a variety of common names, including panther, catamount, mountain lion, and puma (for the Florida sub-population).
They are swift and slender members of the Felidae family. It is the second-largest cat in the New World and the fourth-largest cat species across the world.
The general length range for the species is between 1.50 and 2.75 m (4 ft 11 in to 9 ft 0 in) from snout to tail.
The adults stand with a height of 60 to 90 cm (24 to 35 in) at the shoulders. Furthermore, The typical length of an adult male is roughly 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) and a female is around 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in).
| Height & length | Foot | Meter |
| Length Range | 4 ft 11 in – 9 ft 0 in | 1.50 to 2.75 m |
| Height | 2-3 ft | 0.6 – 0.9 m |
Mountain Lion/Cougar Weight
Mountain lions often weigh to be fairly light despite their massive stature. They weigh less primarily because they are less robustly built and have less muscle mass. However, in general, males weigh between 115 to 220 pounds (52 and 100 kilograms), whereas females weigh between 64 to 141 pounds (29 and 64 kilograms).
These animals exhibit a substantial amount of sexual dimorphism, with female mountain lions being over 30% smaller than their male counterparts. Furthermore, the biggest cougar known to mankind was shot in 1901 and weighed 105.2 kg (232 lb).
| Weight | Pounds | Kilograms |
| Male | 115 to 220 pounds | 52 and 100 kilograms |
| Female | 64 to 141 pounds | 29 and 64 kilograms |
Mountain Lion Territory Size
Cougars have the largest range of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere, extending from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America.
For the majority of males in Canada, the size of their territory on average might vary from 150 – 1,000 kilometers per square, whereas, 65 to 500 kilometers per square for the females.
Other research suggests a much smaller limit of 25 kilometers per square (9.7 sq mi), as well as, an even greater limit of 1,300 square per kilometer (500 sq mi) for males.
Furthermore, the Male territory range can include or overlap with those of females but never with those of other males. With their rear feet, males make scrapes made of leaves and dirt, marking them with pee and occasionally stool.
The extent of the cougars’ territory range varies substantially and their general population density is influenced by the topography, vegetation, and availability of their prey.
Due to a lack of prey richness, one female was discovered in the San Andres Mountains with a broad range of 215 kilometers per square (83 sq mi). 1
Mountain Lion Teeth & Paw Size & Paw Print Size
Mountain lions have a ferocious and dangerous set of teeth which are fundamental to their identity and position as top predators.
The mountain lion’s teeth fall under three major categories which are carnassial teeth, canines, and incisors. their carnassial teeth are sharp and long in size, the canine is razor sharp and wider in size, whereas the incisors, which are the sub-teeth used for chewing are the smallest and straight of the three.
On average the size of a Mountain Lion Canine Tooth measures 2.3 inches in length which is astonishingly the same as the size of its claws.
Coming to their paws which are huge and robustly built with strong claws. As such a big body needs big feet to support it. Mountain lions have rounder, asymmetric feet, and the impressions they leave behind hardly ever reveal their claws.
On average, their feet measure almost over 4 inches in diameter including their claws. The paws of large adult males may be up to 5 inches wide.
Whereas, adult females have paws of around 3.5 inches in width or less. They also have exceptional leaping ability since their rear legs are stronger and bigger than their front legs.
The paw prints of mountain lions generally show four toes, normally without claws. They typically have a diameter between 2.75 to 3.75 inches, are spherical, and resemble genuine paws in appearance excluding claws.
How Big Is A Full-Size Mountain Lion?
The mountain lion reaches its full size in 18 months. They stand a height between 2 to 3 feet tall at the shoulder. Their striking characteristic, nevertheless, is their length. The male mountain lions may reach lengths of more than 8 feet, including the tail, and weigh between 140 and 150 pounds on average.
On the other hand, Female adults tend to be on the smaller side, reaching lengths of up to 7 feet and weighing between 80 to 90 pounds on average.
Furthermore, they have extremely long tails that can reach a length of more than one-third of the animal’s overall length. They can compete with some of the largest cats, such as leopards, lions, and tigers, owing to their extraordinary size.
Mountain Lion Size Compared To Human
Despite being only three feet at the shoulders, mountain lions may be quite threatening. For an adult human, you may anticipate them to be around knee-high.
Even though they seldom attack people, there have been several instances of cougar assaults on humans that have left humans with serious injuries and damage. Therefore, it is crucial to determine how big they are in comparison to us.
As we have mentioned before, mountain lions may reach lengths of more than 8 feet with a height of about 2 to 3 feet, and weigh between 140 and 150 pounds on average.
Whereas, the average human weighs around 110 to 154 lbs (50-70 kgs) with a height of 5.5-5.9 ft.
With the given specifics we can easily conclude that mountain lions are comparable in size to humans. They are longer in length, but shorter in terms of height than us. However, in terms of weight, mountain lions are comparable to or heavier than humans.
Mountain Lion Size Compared To Dog
We are well aware that the size of dogs varies significantly with the breeds they belong to. Comparing a mountain lion with little dogs like chihuahuas or pugs is necessarily insignificant as they would only reach up to the legs of these massive animals.
However, the bigger dog breeds like Anatolian Shepherd, English Mastiff, and Great Dane are quite comparable to the size of mountain lions.
In specifics, mountain lions may reach lengths about 4 ft 11 into 9 ft 0 in with a height of about 2 to 3 feet, and weigh between 65 to 200 pounds on average.
On the other hand, an average large-sized dog ranges from 60 to 220 pounds with a height of more than 26 inches.
Therefore, we can conclude that mountain lions are equivalent in size to large dog breeds. However, in some instances, they can be smaller in height.
| Size | Mountain lions | Dog |
| Weight | 65 to 200 pounds | 60 to 220 pounds |
| Height | Length: 4 Ft 11 Inches To 9 Ft Height: 2 To 3 Feet | Height: 26-30 Inches |
Mountain Lion Size Vs Bobcat Size Comparison
It might really be simple to confuse these two formidable cats if you are not acquainted with the wild cats of the Americas.
However, they differ greatly in size, as per observations the bobcat is not even a fraction of the mountain lion’s size.
The adult bobcat is 18.7 to 49.2 inches long, with a height of about 12 to 24 inches at the shoulders, and weighs from 14 to 40 lb. Whereas, mountain lions may reach lengths about 4 ft 11 in to 9 ft 0 in with a height of about 2 to 3 feet, and weigh between 65 to 200 pounds on average.
By looking at the above-mentioned specifics, we can easily note that mountain lions are much larger and essentially more powerful than Bobcats.
| Size | Mountain lions | Bobcat |
| Weight | 65 to 200 pounds | 14 to 40 lb |
| Height | Length: 4 Ft 11 Inches To 9 Ft Height: 2 To 3 Feet | Length: 18.7 To 49.2 Height: 12 To 24 Inches |
Mountain Lion Vs Puma Size Comparison
Given that Pumas and mountain lions have the same physical appearance and size, one can easily confuse them for the other.
Both mountain lions and puma are the fourth-largest in the cat family. Specifically, the Adult male puma can reach around 7.9 feet (2.4 m) from nose to tip of tail, and a body weight typically between 115 to 220 pounds (52 to 100 kg).
Whereas, mountain lions may reach lengths about 4 ft 11 in to 9 ft 0 in with a height of about 2 to 3 feet, and weigh between 65 to 200 pounds on average.
Therefore, we can easily observe that pumas and mountain lions are almost the same size.
| Size | Mountain lions | Puma |
| Weight | 65 to 200 pounds | 115 to 220 pounds |
| Height | Length: 4 Ft 11 Inches To 9 Ft Height: 2 To 3 Feet | Length: 7.9 Feet |
Mountain Lion Vs Tiger Size Comparison
The mountain lion would be dwarfed by any kind of tiger. The Sumatran tiger, which is the smallest tiger, can weigh up to 300 pounds and is an amazing 8 feet tall.
Whereas, The Siberian tiger, which is the biggest tiger, may grow to a stunning 10 feet in length and weigh up to 660 pounds. They may reach heights of 3.5 to 5 feet.
And as mentioned previously, mountain lions may reach lengths of about 4 ft 11 inches to 9 ft with a height of about 2 to 3 feet, and weigh between 65 to 200 pounds on average.
With the given specifics we can easily conclude that tigers are much heavier, larger, and more powerful than mountain lions.
| Size | Mountain lions | Tiger size |
| Weight | 65 to 200 pounds | 660 pounds |
| Height | Length: 4 Ft 11 Inches To 9 Ft Height: 2 To 3 Feet | Length: 10 Feet Heights: 2.6-3.6 feet |
Conclusion
And that was everything you need to know about the size of Mountain Lion/Cougar. I hope this article was informative enough and your queries were answered.
Thank You For Reading!
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