Adult males may be more than 8 feet long, from nose to end of tail, and generally weigh between 130 and 150 pounds. Adult females can be 7 feet long and weigh between 65 and 90 pounds.
Lion cub peering out of its den in a Placer County forest, California.
Photo by Cliff Wylie and Dave Fjelline
Mountain lion kittens, or cubs, are covered with blackish-brown spots and have dark rings around their tails, markings which fade as they grow older. At birth, the kittens are blind, weigh a pound or less and are a foot long. In two weeks, their eyes open. They begin to accompany their mother on forays when they are two months of age.
Their extraordinary vision is due to a proportionately larger eyeball, pupil and lens size compared to other carnivores.
Note the obvious toenail prints for dogs
that are absent for mountain lions.
Also the lion track has a distinctive "M" shaped pad.
