PUMA
			Phylum: Class: Order: Family: Species: Chordata Mammalia Carnivora Felidae Puma concolor

One of the biggest cats of the Americas, the puma looks much like a lioness. Both the genders have short, golden brown fur, with lighter tanish underfur. The largest known puma was a male reaching 8 feet long (2.4 m) from head to tail and weighing 260 lbs. (118 kg.), although many are about half of that size. The females are usually smaller build than the males, and pumas live mainly on mountains, plains, deserts, and in forests ranging from western Canada to Patagonia in southern South America.

The puma is known for its great strength and stamina. It can cover 20 feet (6 m) in one bound and leap upward to a height of 15 feet (4.6 m). Like most cats, it leads a solitary life and a puma may travel up to 50 miles (80 km) when hunting.

The animal's main prey is deer but it sometimes will attack sheep, goats and even ponies. They also go after small mammals. When hunting, a puma stalks large prey and lands on the animal's back with a powerful leap, usually killing it by biting into its throat. One puma has been known to drag a carcass three times its own weight over the snow.

Pumas breed all year round. A litter consists of 1 to 4 cubs, of which are born blind, and with spotted fur. They stay with their mother for up to 2 years. A puma's life span is up to 18 years. Apart from humans, the puma has few enemies. However, jaguars, wolverines and even grizzly bears will fight pumas.