Plate 025 · resting on a ledge in montane forest IdentificationSix marks on the plate
- 1Short rounded ears, black on the back.
- 2Small head for its body size; pale eye with a white rim.
- 3White muzzle with a black spot at the base of the whiskers.
- 4Plain tawny coat, unspotted in adults.
- 5Cream belly paler than the back.
- 6Long, thick tail with a black tip.
Easily confused with JaguarundiHerpailurus yagouaroundiMuch smaller, short-legged and flat-headed. Weighs under 10 kg. DogCanis familiarisPuma tracks are round, show no claw marks and have a three-lobed heel pad. 025 / 100 · MAMMALS · FELIDAELEAST CONCERN Puma
Puma concolor
Puma · Cougar
It is the largest land predator left in Tucumán. It ranges through every belt, from the foothill forest to the high grasslands of the Aconquija. It is rarely seen and is known mostly from tracks, scats and camera traps.
- Weight
- c. 30 – 70 kg
- Altitude
- 400 – over 3,500 m
- Gestation
- c. 90 days
- Litter
- 1 – 4 spotted cubs
- Big cat
- Solitary
- Crepuscular
- Top predator
Altitude rangeFrom forest to high grassland
Every belt Uses every habitat in the province with prey and cover. It goes above 3,500 m in the Aconquija and the Cumbres Calchaquíes.
FoodA stalking hunter
- Brocket deerMazama gouazoubira · main prey in forest
- PeccariesPecari tajacu
- Medium-sized rodentse.g. viscachas and cavies
- Ground birdse.g. tinamous
- Livestockcalves and goats where grazed
It hunts mostly at dawn and dusk. It drags the kill into cover and buries it under leaves to return and feed again.
BehaviourLarge, silent, elusive
- Solitary. Adults only meet to mate. The female raises the cubs alone for about two years.
- Large home ranges. It marks its area with ground scrapes and urine. It needs large tracts of connected forest.
- Stalk and pounce. It creeps up low and attacks with a short rush. It does not chase prey far.
Where to look in Tucumán- PN Aconquija
- Sierra de San Javier
- Cuesta del Clavillo
- Los Ñuñorcos
- Tafí del Valle (RP 307)