Mountain Lion Footprint Cast

Description

Mountain Lion Footprint Cast measures 2.9 inches. The Mountain Lion Footprint Cast is a great aid for educational purposes. Puma concolor is the scientific name. They are made of extremely durable plastic, and are actually cast from the authentic footprints left behind by each animal described. Animal Tracks are an invaluable asset for science teachers, naturalists and zoos.

Mountain Lions paws are about 3-4” long x 3-5” wide (front and hind foot measurements combined). The metacarpal pad in cougar tracks is trapezoidal shaped and fills a large portion of the track. The pad is usually as large as all 4 toes combined.

Like all cats, Mountain Lions also commonly called cougars or pumas and have five toes on their front paws and four on their back paws. However, only four of the toes on their front feet touch the ground as the Mountain Lion walks. The fifth toe, known as a dewclaw, is permanently above.

In addition to scat and urination for scent communication, cougars sometimes also leave scratch markings on tree trunks or stumps through a process called claw raking. Similar to a house cat scratching furniture, a cougar will stand on its hind legs and drag its claws down a tree trunk.

The scratches will be approximately four to eight feet off the ground, depending on the size of the Mountain Lion, and run parallel and vertically down the tree a few feet. Although these scrapes may simply be part of the claw-grooming process, many researchers believe it is another way for the cats to announce their presence. Scent from the paws is left behind in the tree bark and cougars have been observed sniffing the scratches made by other cats.

The Mountain Lion, Cougar or Puma concolor is a large felid of the subfamily Felinae. It is native to the Americas. Its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America, and is the widest of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere.

It is an adaptable, generalist species, occurring in most American habitat types. Due to its wide range, it has many names including Cougar, puma, red tiger, and catamount.

Cougar or Puma concolor coloring is plain (hence the Latin concolor) but can vary greatly across individuals and even siblings. The coat is typically tawny like that of the lion, which is why it was initially called the mountain lion, but it ranges from silvery-grey or reddish with lighter patches on the under-body, including the jaws, chin, and throat.

Infants are spotted and born with blue eyes and rings on their tails; juveniles are pale and dark spots remain on their flanks.

The head of the cat is round and the ears are erect. Its powerful forequarters, neck, and jaw serve to grasp and hold large prey. It has five retractable claws on its forepaws (one a dewclaw) and four on its hind paws.

Cougars or Puma concolor have large paws and proportionally the largest hind legs in Felidae, allowing for their great leaping and short-sprint ability. The cougar’s top running speed ranges between 40 and 50 mph but is best adapted for sprints rather than long chases. It is adept at climbing.

Although it is not strongly associated with water, it can swim. The cougar or Puma concolor has the largest range of any wild land animal in the Americas.

Mountain Lion Facts:

Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Felidae
Subfamily: Felinae
Genus: Puma
Species: P. concolor
Binomial name: Puma concolor
Conservation status: Least concern

Shop More Museum Quality Mountain Lion Claws in Big Cat Skull Store

 

Additional information

Weight	2 lbs
Dimensions	2.9 × 2.9 in
National Mountain Lion Day - June 12th	June 12th celebrates the day of Mountain Lions.