Cougar cubs have spots, in contrast to the adults. These probably help them stay concealed in foliage while their mother is away, and they start to fade at around 2.5 years old.

Pumas lack the particular larynx and hyoid needed to roar, hence they are unable to do so. Instead, they make low-pitched hitches, growls, purrs, whistles, and chirps in addition to the well-known scream, but for the most part, they are silent.

They don't have a picky palate. They will eat whatever they can capture, from armadillos to moose, which is certainly what helped them survive the megafauna decline. In North America, medium-sized ungulates like elk and mule deer, as well as large rodents like the capybara, are the preferred prey.

They are at the bottom of the hierarchy of apex predators while being at the top of the food chain. Depending on the area, larger and more powerful animals such as black bears, grizzly bears, jaguars, and packs of grey wolves (who are no match for a cougar one-on-one but of course have the benefit of numbers) may steal their kill from them after they have made it.

According to statistics, there is a slim chance that a mountain lion may attack you. In North America, just 125 wild cougar assaults on people have been documented in the last century, and only just over a fifth of those were deadly.