Fast Facts
- Scientific Name:
- Puma concolor
- A.K.A.:
- Puma, mountain lion, cougar, catamount
- Range:
- Canadian Yukon to Southern Andes Mountains
- Length:
- Nose to Tail — Adult Male 7.9 ft., Adult Female 6.7 ft.
- Weight:
- Adult Males — 115-220 lbs., Adult Females — 64-141 lbs.
- Litter Size:
- One to six cubs
- Size:
- 4th largest cat predator
- Habitat:
- Dense underbrush and rocky terrain; territorial & solitary
- Hunting Style:
- Nocturnal stalk & ambush
- Running Speed:
- 40-50 MPH
- Leaping Ability:
- 18 ft. vertically and 40-45 ft. horizontally
- Normal Prey:
- (Largest) deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep (Smallest) rodents
- Predators:
- Jaguars, black bears, wolves, and grizzly bears
- DNA:
- More closely related to house cats than lions
- Fun Facts:
- Mountain lions are not true lions and cannot roar; they hold the Guinness record for animal with the most names — with over 40 names in English alone; Proportionally they have the largest hind legs in the cat family.
Mountain Lion
Background Information
The Desert Museum traditionally adopts orphaned mountain lions, which have not been suitable for release into the wild, including the Museum's current resident, found as a five and a half-month-old male cub in San Jose, CA in March 2013 weighing only 15 lbs. Rescued and nursed back to health by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, but unsuitable for reintroduction into the wild, its adoption by the Desert Museum was arranged through the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
Read more about Cruz's background.
Statistics
| Sex | Male |
| Rescued | March 9, 2013 in San Jose, CA |
| Rescue Weight | 15 lbs. |
| Favorite Food | Goats Milk |
| Favorite Activities | Chasing rock squirrels and lazing in the shade |
Naming Contest
My name was submitted by Darlene Baty of Tucson, Arizona, and references the Santa Cruz river that runs through the Sonoran Desert.
Cruz was selected as the winning name from over 1400 submissions. Entries came in from 34 states and the District of Columbia, and 6 foreign countries. The list was narrowed down to 10, and Museum staff, docents, and volunteers voted to determine the winner.
- I have grown since making my home at the Desert Museum:
- I now weigh about 65 pounds!
- I love to swim and interact with children of all ages.
- My favorite toy is my red jolly ball.
Other top 5 names were:
- Ousei, which means Mountain Lion in Yaqui (submitted by Luann Read)
- J Edgar Cougar (submitted by Jena McLaughlin)
- Cereus George (submitted by Martha Lundgren)
- Taş, which means Sun in O'Odham (submitted by Rachel Muscat)
The mountain lion has been an iconic symbol of the Desert Museum for many years and in the past the Museum's male mountain lions have always been named George L. Mountainlion.
"The Museum will continue to embrace this tradition using the iconic image and name, however, the reigning George L. has retired and this cub needs a name. So, the decision was made to invite the community to help the Museum name the new cub…"
—Executive Director, Craig Ivanyi.
Photo by Rhonda Spencer
Watch young Cruz as he explored his new home on his first day out: