Endangered Mountain Lions by Fiona https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion Ontario's Species at Risk en-us 2017-09-22 17:28:52 UTC 2025-12-23 23:28:58 UTC hello@padlet.com 0 fiona_dobson https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/190245504 2017-09-22 18:00:36 UTC https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/190245504 fiona_dobson https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/190245699 2017-09-22 18:01:03 UTC https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/190245699 michelleluong https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/194678800 2017-10-06 13:39:11 UTC https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/194678800 Range michelleluong https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/194680616 Cougars are solitary creatures which makes them harder to find and their dispersion pattern can be considered random because they are solitary creatures or clumped because they need to mate with males and their habitat areas have become much smaller compared to the past. Their territory ranges from 150-1000 sq km.
In the past, cougars were able to roam from Ontario to South Carolina. As large mammals, there range of traveling is very large. Due to urbanization, it has contracted a lot.]]> 2017-10-06 13:42:25 UTC https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/194680616 michelleluong https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/194865090 2017-10-06 23:09:03 UTC https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/194865090 fiona_dobson https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/194916384 2017-10-07 15:01:14 UTC https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/194916384 fiona_dobson https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/194916434 2017-10-07 15:02:02 UTC https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/194916434 fiona_dobson https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195344235 2017-10-09 18:24:54 UTC https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195344235 Species interactions fiona_dobson https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195346633 Mountain lions are such solitary species that the only species they actively interact with is their prey. This can include deer, mice, beavers, and porcupines. They all have a predator/prey relationship. The population of these animals are not a limiting factor because not only is there a very large population of deer and many of the animals that they prey on, they also prey on such a wide range of other mammals that they have no limit of food source.

]]> 2017-10-09 18:31:05 UTC https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195346633 Human Influences fiona_dobson https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195346883 Pumas are very shy animals and are also very territorial, the only non predator prey relationship that they create is when they mate and even then it is only for the mating period and then the female is left to raise the cubs on her own. Humans have invaded and destroyed so much territory that they can only find the solitude they prefer in a couple parts of Ontario.

]]> 2017-10-09 18:31:51 UTC https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195346883 Captivity fiona_dobson https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195347885 The Muskokaregion.com claims that there was at one point, around 100 cougars lived in captivity in ontario. Captivity can help ensure the survival of this species as it protects them from hunting or car accidents or other humans interventions. It also ensures that they get all the medical attention they need and are well fed. Their lifespans are usually increased in captivity as well ( up to 20 years) lifespan source

]]> 2017-10-09 18:34:54 UTC https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195347885 Deforestation fiona_dobson https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195348376 The Mountain Lion’s habitat is primarily in the woods so when humans clear cut woods for farms, roads, cities and woods farms, they destroy the Mountain Lion’s home. Deforestation has caused a huge drop in the Mountain Lion’s population because they each enjoy solitude and are very territorial so whatever limited land they have left is divided even further. ]]> 2017-10-09 18:36:20 UTC https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195348376 Hunting fiona_dobson https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195349075 Hunting pumas was encouraged for a large part of our history, in fact there was a bounty for hunting pumas until the late 1950s or early 1960’s. The payout averaged around $20 for a male and $30 for a female. This drastically decreased their population as in California alone over 12 000 pumas were killed between 1907 and 1963, similar hunts occurred throughout North America. Puma Hunting

]]> 2017-10-09 18:38:36 UTC https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195349075 Conservation Biology: Current Projects fiona_dobson https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195349266
  • It is now illegal to hunt pumas in Canada and most States.
  • Many Mountain Lions have had successful lives in captivity.
    • ]]>     2017-10-09 18:39:05 UTC https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195349266     Conservation Biology: Proposed Plan fiona_dobson https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195350631
  • Leave as much space around them untouched
  • Protect the forests that remain in the northern parts of Ontario
  • Report sightings so that more data of their whereabouts can be collected (and protected)
  • Do not build roads near their habitats to reduce collisions
    • ]]>     2017-10-09 18:43:13 UTC https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195350631     Population michelleluong https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195633950 There are insufficient data on the Ontario cougars because most of them were killed before 1847 and they are shy creatures that would prefer to avoid humans.
    Using Ontario’s area size which is 1.2 million sq km and the cougars’ population in 2010 which is 550, its population density is 0.00045833333/sq km. This is because there are few cougars and because there are many spots where Ontario was urbanized.

    ]]>     2017-10-10 14:54:22 UTC https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195633950     Genetics michelleluong https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195635209 The cougar could've gotten its genetics from escaped captivities of from other areas such as the US or from the west. There genetics could be from a cougar who was able to survive the 1800’s or those that came to Ontario because it is considered an open population. ]]> 2017-10-10 14:56:19 UTC https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195635209 Age Structure michelleluong https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195638720 With the beliefs of cougars being extirpated in Ontario as well as in other parts of North America, there are not enough information of them because of that. There were a few sightings of cougars in the past but not as much compared to today in which people are putting the data together. This is why there are no information on the age structure.]]> 2017-10-10 15:01:16 UTC https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195638720 Original Population michelleluong https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195639746 Apparently, the last cougars in southern Ontario and Quebec were killed before 1847. Its original population is unknown due to the length of time span between the past and today. Many cougars were killed due to settlement and the expansion of urbanization which caused habitat destruction of the cougars and people also hunted them which was another factor in reducing their size. 
    Cougars were considered to be endangered in 2008 when the Endangered Species Act took actions.

    ]]>     2017-10-10 15:02:52 UTC https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195639746     Limiting Factors michelleluong https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195640660 Human activities
    - Reducing the cougars’ space to travel, can be hit by cars, habitat being reduced and fragmenting the forests which separates them and prevent them from mating
    - Original range in North America been reduced to a third of original range due to human disturbances
    - Because humans invaded the cougar’s area, the cougar’s population has been greatly reduced because of hunting, colonizing there(mainly settlers) and urbanization. This cause too many killing/deaths of the cougars.
    Prey 
    - Prey can be a limiting factor but not for the cougar’s population. Its main prey are white tailed deers and there are an abundance of them. This is due to the predator’s population being killed off such as the wolves or cougars. By having little amount of predators, the deer can increase their population size until they reach the carrying capacity.
    Climate
    - With climate change happening it can let the seasons be longer or shorter. If the area is too hot, the population may end up with a disease. If winter last for too long, all the animals including the cougars would be starving because there is a shortage of food in the winter. The amount of precipitation could vary as well. If there is not room for it to rain, many would feel dehydrated. Climate could affect habitat, preys, competition and other people.

    ]]>     2017-10-10 15:04:23 UTC https://padlet.com/fiona_dobson/MountainLion/wish/195640660