Which of these two wild and popular cats will win in a fight?
Cougar and Leopard are both Felidae family members.
Despite being a huge cat, the cougar is not classified as part of the Panthera genus, which includes the tiger, lion, jaguar, and Leopard.
The cougar is the Felidae cat family’s second-largest member in the Western Hemisphere.
The jaguar of Central and South America is the only cat in the Americas that is larger than the cougar.
The cougar is a multi-named cat. Other common names for this species are mountain lion, panther, puma, painter, and catamount.
Leopards are one of the most elusive and secretive species in the animal kingdom. Thus, their remarkable adaptability and mastery of stealth make them one of the most dangerous predators in the Panthera genus, including the tiger, lion, jaguar, and Leopard.
Size and Body Description
The cougar is about the same size as a leopard. They range in length from 1.5 to 2.7 m (5.9 feet), have a tail length of 53.91 cm (21.36 inches), and a shoulder height of 58.71 cm (23.28 inches). Weights range from 75 to 250 pounds (34,113 kg) and vary widely.
It has a strong body that ranges in color from tawny red to dark brown.
White color is found on the throat, chest, chin, and whiskers.
Cougars have powerful hind legs, making them fantastic jumpers. For example, a cougar can jump 5.5 meters straight up from the ground.
The ears are tiny, rounded, and short.
Leopards’ legs are short in comparison to their long torso. In addition, they have a large head and a massive skull, which arms them to have powerful jaw muscles.
In warm, dry settings, their coat is tawny or light yellow, but in deep forests, it is reddish-orange. Also black rosettes cover their entire body.
Leopards in the savannah and woodlands are usually giant, whereas leopards in the mountains and deserts are relatively small.
Males weigh between 80 and 212 pounds (36 and 95 kilograms) and stand between 5.2 and 7.5 feet tall (1.6 – 2.3 m).
Females weigh 46 to 132 pounds (21 to 60 kilograms) and stand between 5.5 and 6.2 feet tall (1.7 – 1.9 m).
Habitat and Environment
The cougar’s range extends from the Canadian Yukon through the United States, Central and South America to the southern point of Chile.
Cougars were extinct in the eastern and central sections of North America within 200 years of European settlement, except for a small subpopulation in south Florida.
Cougars may be found in various habitats such as montane coniferous forests, grassland, swamps, lowland tropical forests, and dry brush area.
They seek refuge in dense foliage, rocky nooks, and caves.
By 2019, the Leopard’s historic range had shrunk by 75%. However, some significant areas persisted in Sub-Saharan Africa, Iran, and the Himalayas, with smaller pockets spreading across Central Asia, India, Southeast Asia, eastern China and Manchuria, and the Korean peninsula.
They prefer to reside in wooded areas and grassy savannas.
They can also be found in smaller populations in mountainous regions, as well as scrublands and deserts.
Diet And Nutrition
Pumas typically prey on deer, although they will sometimes eat smaller animals, even domestic animals, if necessary.
Cougars are skilled and crafty hunters who hide from their prey until they are ready to pounce with claws outstretched. Cougars can also climb and leap over 6 meters easily (20 ft.).
Cougars have few natural enemies and are at the top of the food chain.
However, they occasionally compete for food with other predators such as bears and wolves.
Leopards eat mostly tiny to medium-sized mammals. They are considered picky eaters, removing feathers and plumage from birds before eating them, but they will eat whatever food is available in the region if they are hungry.
Leopards are nocturnal predators, but they are incredibly opportunistic and will not pass up a hunting opportunity during the day.
They stalk their prey and rely on their ability to remain inconspicuous for as long as possible to be successful.
Behavior
Cougars prefer to hide in places where they won’t be spotted, such as rocky mountains or dense forests.
They usually don’t assault humans unless cornered or threatened. Cougars hunt day and night but are most active at dusk and dawn.
Except during breeding season, they are solitary and reclusive creatures. A cougar’s home area might be as large as 125 square miles (310 sq km).
They mark their territory with various warning signals to keep other cougars away.
A male’s enormous home range, on the other hand, may overlap many female ranges as they are smaller. In the wild, a healthy cougar can live for up to 10 years.
The Leopard is also a solitary animal that lives in the woods and forest and is primarily nocturnal, although occasionally it basks in the sun during daytime.
It is a quick climber that frequently stores the leftovers of its victims in tree limbs. Leopards can fight if they come into contact with each other by chance.
To alert other leopards of its presence, the animal usually gives out a rasping cough. Leopards’ home ranges frequently overlap with one another.
The Leopard makes various sounds, including sharp coughs, throaty growls, and deep purring. They love the water and are excellent swimmers.
Now back to our original question!
Who would win in a fight between a leopard and a cougar?
Because of their separate ranges, these creatures will never meet in nature.
But let’s pretend they did cross paths and got into a duel. Let’s compare the males of both species who are the heaviest. Because both predators are so similar, the outcome of their fight could be uncertain.
They are nearly identical in size, with the cougar being slightly larger on average. The Leopard is a bit stockier but more robust and muscular, with a giant head, neck, and shoulders than the cougar, while the cougar has the more strong forelimb.
Both can take down animals many times their size. They also have about the same bite force, around 300-350 PSI.
Cheetahs, hyenas, African wild dogs, and lion pride all compete and sometimes fight with leopards. On the other hand, cougars have different opponents like Bears, wolves, coyotes, and wolverines.
Leopards face more challenging opponents and are more used to fighting cats from other species. As a result, the Leopard has more experience fighting more dangerous animals the cougar.
Mountain Lions must be able to puncture the thick winter coats and even layers of insulating fat to bring down their usual prey, and they are capable of doing so.
Also, it appears to deliver skull bites more frequently than Leopards. However, it might not be sufficient to bite the skull of another big cat.
Anatomy is a highly significant component that most people overlook.
The Leopard has the body structure of a genus Panthera, while the Cougar has the body structure of a genus Felis animal.
This is comparable to a large domestic cat vs a little tiger in anatomy. Thus this makes the Leopard more powerful in that regard.
The puma is more closely related to a domestic cat, whereas a Leopards is related to tigers and lions.
Both animals would be hurt badly in the fight, but the Leopard has a better chance of winning.