CALIFORNIA MOUNTAIN LIONS

PHOTOS

Most people living in California don't realize that more than half of the State is California Mountain Lion habitat. Mountain lions generally exist wherever deer are found. They are solitary, quiet, and elusive. Their nature is to avoid humans. Research has shown that mountain lions often change their patterns to avoid human occupied areas, or areas where humans are most active.

The color of the California Mountain Lion coat is tan with black tipping on the ears and tail. Adult lions weigh between 80 and 180 pounds; stand two to three feet high at the shoulders, and measure 6 to 8 feet in length from nose to the tip of their tail. Mountain lion kittens have camouflaging spots and rings around their tails.

California Mountain Lions prefer areas with dense undergrowth and cover, and will leave an area if they perceive a threat. They live solitary lives, spacing themselves across their environment by marking and defending areas known as their home range. Home ranges contain the resources they need to survive -- hunting areas, water sources, safe resting places, and lookouts. Female California mountain lions seek out very safe places to raise their young.

California Mountain Lions are solitary creatures but their territories will often overlap those of the opposite sex, and only occasionally overlap with those of the same sex. The home range of the male California Mountain Lion is generally larger than that of the female lion. The home range of mountain lions can cover hundreds of square miles, depending on the time of year, availability of food, and environmental changes.

The primary food source for the California Mountain Lion is deer, but they will also feed on wild hogs, raccoons, rabbits, porcupines, birds and sometimes domestic livestock. They hunt alone from dusk to dawn. A mountain lion may take down a deer every one to four weeks for food. They often hide larger prey under dry leaves, grass or pine needles. This is known as caching to protect the food source from other animals and to reduce spoilage. The lion often returns to the source several times over a period of three to seven days.

The California Mountain Lion is one of the largest predators in North America and they play an essential role in maintaining the health of California deer populations. They often seek out the sick, weak, and older deer which helps control disease. They also help keep deer populations from growing too large and herds staying too long in any one area where over-browsing can occur. Over-browsing can destroy important habitat that other wild animals need to survive.

Mountain lions can bound up to 35 feet while running, leap 15 feet up a tree and climb over a 12-foot fence with ease. They can walk many miles at 10 mph and reach running speeds of up to 50 mph in a sprint. They sense movement more accurately than they see detail. Mountain lions see in pixilated mosaics. Their wide angle and night vision is much greater than our own. The hearing on the lion is acutely sensitive, far beyond human range, and their ears move independently to pinpoint the source of sounds.

Lions have very distinctive M shaped pads, and unlike coyotes and domestic dogs, their claw or nail marks do not show in the tracks. While walking, mountain lion's place their hind footsteps in their fore tracks, creating overlapping patterns. Lions usually walk through life; like their domestic cousins, they choose a very easy and deliberate walking pace. Their tracks typically appear clean and undisturbed with the animal's weight showing in an evenly distributed impression. The mountain lion track on the left can be distinguished from the dog track on the right by the absence of toenail prints and by the "M" shaped pad.

For more information on living and staying safe in mountain lion country, visit the following websites: