Whats the difference between a mountain lion/cougar and a puma?
– Shae Hi, Shae. A mountain lion, cougar, and puma are all the same animal! This big cat, which lives from northern Canada all the way to the very southernmost tip of South America, has the widest range of any mammal in North America. Over such a big range, they are known to many different people by many different names. Some people call this animal a panther, a screamer, a catamount, or a painter (probably this last one is based on “panther,” since I don’t know any pumas who paint.) Scientists use a scientific, or Latin, name to describe this animal: Puma concolor, which in Latin means “puma whose body is all the same color.” Puma is a word from the language of the Inca Indians of South America, meaning “large powerful animal.” No matter where you go, the puma/panther/mountain lion/gato montés/leon de la montaña only has one scientific name. That’s the use of these scientific names: everyone knows exactly what animal they are talking about. So scientists form Argentina, Kentucky and C
