This means cougar functions and you can means option creatures which is alot more more than likely about “cougar” sightings in Alabama

Even though there was account from sightings outside the cougar’s current understood diversity, scarcely was including sightings proven

• Posted from the: Jesse Boulerice, Draw D. Smith, Stephen S. Ditchkoff
• into the Forestry & WildlifePrint

Included are approaches for choosing if an excellent cougar in the wild otherwise a photo try a true sighting out-of a crazy “Alabama cougar.”

New wild cougar try believed extinct east of one’s Mississippi River, except for a tiny protected society within the southwest Florida, and there was not a confirmed cougar sighting inside Alabama to own 50 years

Along side eastern Us, there are frequent profile away from cougar sightings when you look at the areas where brand new larger pet is thought to no further exists. Alabama is not any other, and you may wildlife authorities on a regular basis found calls and you can elizabeth-mails on the cougars found in the official. But not, there has perhaps not started a reliable, confirmed sighting when you look at the Alabama for the more 50 years. Could there be very a populace of them huge cats roaming the brand new wasteland from Alabama, or perhaps is it all simply a myth?

Cougar, panther, Florida panther, puma, mountain lion, Mexican lion, lion, catamount, king pet, deer pet, mountain demon, hill screamer, and you may artist are among the brands popular to mention with the exact same creature (scientific label Puma concolor). It huge pet ‘s the next-largest felid during the America, consider off 65 so you’re able to 265 pounds (to possess analysis, the average Italian language shepherd weighs about 75 weight). The length from see rump off mature cougars was between 3 and you may 5 foot, with a supplementary 2 to 3 . ft off tail. Out-of legs so you can shoulder, new cougar really stands as much as 2 . feet-on mid-leg into mediocre mature boy. The fresh new adult cougar try exotic brownish so you can tawny gray which have an effective whitish tummy. Cougars don’t have locations otherwise stripes. The head is relatively quick which have short, round ears, plus the end try long, dense, and frequently finishes having a black colored tip.

New cougar just after roamed across the all west hemisphere from the top of has reached of Canada’s boreal woods, in the All of us, and all sorts of how you can their southern limitations within idea out of South america. Death of compatible habitat along with decades out of unregulated bing search and trapping and you may reduction programs possess significantly faster the brand new cougar’s diversity. Today, this new cat’s range from inside the You is bound so you’re able to regions inside the Rugged Slopes of your Western. This new cat are presumed become extinct east of your Mississippi Lake, apart from a tiny safe inhabitants regarding the tall southwestern section off Fl (the Florida panther). Those that are confirmed usually were released or fled some body in earlier times leftover once the pet or perhaps in zoos.

The brand new closest known cougar populations to help you Alabama occur within the west Texas and you may southwest Florida. Distributing nuts cougars have been defined as near once the Louisiana and you can Arkansas, but none was in fact sighted eastern of your Mississippi beyond Florida. The final verified cougar from inside the Alabama was slain into the 1956 from inside the Tuscaloosa County. Since that time, Alabama creatures authorities haven’t been in a position to establish some of the brand new constant reports regarding cougar sightings. While the recently once the 2008, a beneficial cougar was try because of the a hunter inside the Georgia, and you can abreast www collarspace of after that research, new cat was determined getting an excellent descendant about small southwestern Florida society. Many somebody dislike to help you think about it, the newest Alabama cougar is likely more a myth than just a reality.

In the event the each one of these account out-of cougars into the Alabama aren’t most cougars, up coming just what are it? Some of the sightings come from people that are unfamiliar with cougars, particularly since they are extremely unlikely for seen one out of the nuts prior to. Most of the time, almost every other pet are misidentified as the cougars. Bobcats occur in huge number during the Alabama as well as the southeastern Joined States. A good bobcat (Lynx rufus) is a special types than simply an excellent cougar; it’s much faster, weighing between 15 and you can 35 weight and contains a preliminary cuatro- to eight-inch tail and watched finish. Because these pet commonly prevent human beings, it may be difficult to give the essential difference between cougars and you will bobcats on the short-term glance a guy gets. Feral kitties, residential cats one now work with nuts, can certainly be at fault at the rear of of a lot reported cougar sightings. A good consistent brownish feral cat looks similar to the cougar, except it’s much faster. In fact, of numerous photos and films of supposed cougar sightings found on the Websites turn out to be feral cats (because sized the pet is actually