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Habitat | |
| Distribution
& range
Author: Jason Pautz Site
created by Richard Phillips
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The mountain lion requires habitat that is remote and land that is undeveloped by humans. A hunting cougar travels on average 5.5 miles per night (Beier 1993:106). The cougar population in the Santa Ana Mountain Range of southern California consist of about twenty adults on about 2070 km2 of habitat (Beier 1993:99). Ideal mountain lion habitat can be found in southern Utah. Hemker et al. (1984) found that southern Utah’s habitat consisted of desert and shrub communities with sparse overstories of pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) and Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) predominate between 1350m and 1800m. Other southern Utah habitats are, stands of Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) and quacking aspen (Populus tremuloides). In these areas mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and elk (Cervus elaphus) are the major large ungulates present (Hemker et al. 1984:1276). |