Mountain+Lion+Period+6




 * Group Members: Julia Clayton and Anna Kate Jones period 6**


 * How Will We Work Together:We plan to work together as a group by splitting the work amount. This has worked well for us!**


 * Research:**

1. **Where does your animal live, and what are its characteristics? Locate your animal’s habitat (Where does it live? Does it migrate?) Include all subspecies or varieties of your animal Identify at least 10 characteristics that will give an in-depth, accurate description of your animal**

-The mountain lion has long hind legs to help it jump along the rugged mountains. Its body is about 3.5 to 6.5 feet and the tail is half as long as the body. Its weight ranges from 80-220 pounds. Females are usually smaller than males and mountain lions in the tropical regions are mostly smaller than the mountain lions of the far north and south. They have a solid coat of reddish/yellowish brown and the throat and chest are white. The head of the cat is round and the ears erect. Its powerful forequarters, neck, and jaw serve to grasp and hold large prey. It has five retractable claws on its forepaws and four on its hind paws. The larger front feet and claws are adaptations to clutching prey__. __ -The mountain lion, formally known as the puma, is called the mountain lion because its habitat is the rugged mountains. But they can also be found in swamps, deserts and rain forests. The Mountain Lion chooses places where much prey is and where there is ground water to sneak up on their prey. They are found from northern Canada to the southern tip of South America. They also migrate to follow deer and other prey. -In the 1990s there were 32 subspecies the were reported but later in a r ecent  genetic  study of mitochondrial DNA = = found that many of these are too similar to be recognized as distinct subspecies. Subspecies of the mountain lion include the **Yuma Puma, Argentine puma, Costa Rican cougar, Eastern South American cougar, North American cougar, and more.**

2. **Where and why is your animal endangered? Locate where it is endangered (might not be endangered in all its habitats) Identify the factors, environmental and/or anthropogenic (caused by man) that cause it to be endangered Provide statistics and other facts related to its endangerment** - Two of the subspecies of the Mountain Lion are on the U.S endangered species list. The Eastern Puma is endangered throughout the U.S and the Florida Panther in Florida. The main factors of endangerment are loss of habitat, habitat fragmentation, and persecution by humans. Also The White Tailed Deer, the mountain lion’s main prey, has disappeared over much of its range. -In the 1920s there was only a population of 600 mountain lions. Since then, the mountain lion population revealed a population of more than 2,000 in the 1970s. Today the mountain lion population has grown but is still not high enough to be off the endangerment list. For example there are only 4,000-6,000 mountain lions in California!

3. **Where is your animal in captivity and/or conserved? Locate at least two zoos and/or conservation centers where the animal is held.** - San Diego, phoenix, and Dakota zoo. In Zoos the zookeepers feed them ground beef, big bones, and parts of carcasses.

4. **What is being done to restore your animal’s populations? Where is it being done? Locate where research is done on your animal and where efforts are underway to conserve its population (Note: It may be that this is done at the same location(s) you identified in #3) Identify the experts, leaders, and/or groups guiding the conservation** - The Mountain Lions are being watched at the San Diego, phoenix, and Dakota Zoo. The Mountain Lions are becoming extinct because of habitat losses. The population of humans is increasing while the population of mountain lions is decreasing. There have been many human attacks, to avoid further danger you should kill it.

Outline any research and efforts to conserve the population - Many foundations have set off certain areas for mountain lions - many zoos are helping out - ** Mountain Lion Cub
 * Photos

Mountain Lion Mountain Lions live in the darkest colors

A Mountain Lion in a Zoo

Florida Panther

media type="youtube" key="HADjWBd_TUY&hl=en" height="355" width="425" More Pictures
 * Videos

Mountain Lion

The San Diego Zoo



Bibliography (All Resources Used)**

[|http://www.sandiegozoo.org]  (conservation) [|http://www.azfamily.com/  (conservation) [|http://www.kxmb.com/t/dakota-zoo (conservation) [|http://www.mountainlion.org/facts_faq.asp  ( endangered) [|http://www.wonderclub.com] (habitat) [|http://www.theanimalfiles.com] (video) http://school.eb.com/elementary/article?articleId=390082 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cougar [|www.motay.com] [|www.enature.com] [|http://arizona.sierraclub.org/conservation/mt-lion/index.asp http://www.wildlifenews.alaska.gov http://www.sandiegozoo.org - conservation(zoo)

Google Earth Placemarks = = =Utah's Mountain Lions = = = Mountain lions inhabit territory all across Utah.The only place in Utah they’re not found is near the west of the Great Salt Lake. Despite Utah’s large cougar population, attacks on humans are rare here. The last mountain lion attack recorded in Utah occurred in 1997.

=Argentina and Chile = = = Argentina and Chile are key places where Mountain Lions live becuase there is good vegetation and dense forests!

=Alaska and its Mountain Lions =

Alaska tends to not be known for Mountain Lions but we have found out that there have been Mountain Lion sightings. These sighting are so rare that accounts often take on the mythical quality of Bigfoot sightings. But the main reason why we wanted to put Alaska on our project was because we were amazed that only 2 Mountain Lion killings have been reported! Great work Alaska!

=Michigan Wildlife Conservancy = = = The Michigan Wildlife Conservancy is a very different kind of Mountain Lion conservancy. The people of Michigan thought that Mountain Lions had migrated out of Michigan. The Michigan Wildlife Conservany was determined to convince the people that the Mountain Lions still exist in Michigan and they proved it! So visit thier site and read their story!  =<span style="color: rgb(192, 70, 236)"><span style="color: rgb(195, 16, 244)"><span style="color: rgb(237, 44, 196)">Mountain Lion Attacks  = = = <span style="color: rgb(20, 230, 184)"><span style="color: rgb(169, 36, 240)">In Canada and the Us from 1991 to 2003 there were 73 Mountain Lion attacks on people and only 10 died.

=<span style="color: rgb(44, 122, 242)"> <span style="color: rgb(20, 230, 184)">California Wildlife Proctection Act of 1990  = = <span style="color: rgb(20, 230, 184)"> = <span style="color: rgb(20, 230, 184)"><span style="color: rgb(85, 216, 14)">This act was made in the state of California and bans the sport hunting of Mountain Lions. Also, thanks to this act, 30 million dollars a year is donated to the conservation of the Mountain Lion!! <span style="color: rgb(251, 35, 143)"> <span style="color: rgb(251, 35, 143)"> <span style="color: rgb(20, 230, 184)"> =<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)"><span style="color: rgb(251, 35, 143)"><span style="color: rgb(236, 34, 168)"><span style="color: rgb(244, 11, 205)"><span style="color: rgb(33, 242, 97)">The Phoenix Zoo    = <span style="color: rgb(16, 164, 224)"><span style="color: rgb(20, 230, 184)">The zoo just received two five month old Mountain Lion cubs from South Dakota. They are a nice new addition to the zoo. =<span style="color: rgb(30, 22, 227)"><span style="color: rgb(8, 44, 217)">The Florida Panther = = = <span style="color: rgb(227, 13, 185)">The Florida Panther is one of the two subspecies of the Mountain Lion that is on the endangered species list for the U.S. The Mountain Lion is endangered for many reasons. But two big problems are overdevelopment of cities and also the Mounatin Lion's main prey, the White Tailed Deer, are getting hunted and they are harder and harder to find.

=<span style="color: rgb(200, 20, 240)">Mountain Lion Habitat = <span style="color: rgb(25, 235, 193)"><span style="color: rgb(237, 2, 2)">The mountain lion, formally known as the puma, is called the mountain lion because its habitat is the rugged mountains. But they can also be found in swamps, deserts and rain forests. The Mountain Lion chooses places where much prey is and where there is ground water to sneak up on their prey. They are found from northern Canada to the southern tip of South America. They also migrate to follow deer and other prey.

=<span style="color: rgb(233, 238, 17)"><span style="color: rgb(35, 25, 235)">The Mountain Lion Foundation = =<span style="color: rgb(25, 235, 193)"> = <span style="color: rgb(25, 235, 193)">The Mountain Lion Foundation is a nonprofit conservation and education organization dedicated to protecting the Mountain Lion and their wild habitat. The foundation has many ideas on how to help the Mountain Lions and how to interact with one if you happen to run in to one! Check it out!!! <span style="color: rgb(62, 241, 19)"> =<span style="color: rgb(62, 241, 19)"><span style="color: rgb(245, 15, 15)"><span style="color: rgb(25, 235, 25)"> San Diego Zoo  = =<span style="color: rgb(161, 0, 255)"><span style="color: rgb(25, 235, 193)"> = <span style="color: rgb(25, 235, 193)"><span style="color: rgb(161, 0, 255)">At the San Diego Zoo they care for Mountain Lions. They have a conservation. They care for them.


 * Our Google Earth**