AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. – The presence of Bigfoot is extremely disputed throughout the nation. However, in Alabama, another animal’s presence takes spotlight in numerous conversations: mountain lions. The existence of these huge cats is well recorded in other parts of the nation, however their presence in Alabama appears to be a secret. Are they here or are they not? An Alabama Cooperative Extension System wildlife expert assists shed some light on this secret.
Mountain lion attributes
The term mountain lion is simply among the numerous names that individuals utilize to describe the animal clinically called Puma concolor. Other names consist of cougar, panther, puma, mountain devil, mountain error and others.
Mark Smith, an Alabama Extension wildlife expert, said mountain lions are the 2nd biggest feline in North America. Jaguars (Panthera onca), which are discovered in the severe southwestern United States and throughout Mexico, are the biggest.
“Mountain lions weigh anywhere from 65 to 265 pounds and can be up to 8.5 feet long, from head to tail,” Smith said. “Adults are sandy brown to tawny gray in color with a whitish belly.”
A particular that sets mountain lions apart from numerous other huge cats is they do not have areas or stripes.
The huge Alabama argument
For years, many individuals in Alabama claim to have actually experienced a mountain lion. However, you need to go all the method back to 1956 for the last validated sighting in the state.
“The closest known mountain lion populations to Alabama are in western Texas and southwestern Florida,” said Smith, who is likewise an Auburn University teacher in the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment. “Since the 1956 confirmation in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama wildlife officials have yet to confirm any of the sightings that they receive regularly.”
State wildlife authorities often field calls and e-mails about mountain lion sightings. However, there has yet to be a dependable confirmation in almost 70 years. According to Smith, a number of these sightings originate from individuals that are not familiar with mountain lions. This is unsurprising, being that individuals in Alabama are not likely to have actually seen a mountain lion in the wild prior to.
“To put things in perspective, think of the hundreds of thousands of game cameras that are put in the woods each year to monitor wildlife,” Smith said. “Yet we haven’t been able to produce a clear picture of a mountain lion in Alabama. More interestingly, given all the roads and highways in Alabama relative to the movement patterns of mountain lions, we would likely have had one hit by a car. In some areas of their western range, that is the leading cause of mortality.”
What are individuals seeing?
Even with the information and years versus them, individuals still declare to have actually seen the expected Alabama mountain lion. If it is not a mountain lion, then what are they seeing? Smith said there are a number of other animals that individuals misidentify as a mountain lion. The bobcat is among the most typical.
Bobcat (Alabama Cooperative Extension System)
“Bobcats occur in large numbers throughout Alabama and the southeastern U.S.,” Smith said. “They are much smaller than mountain lions are, weighing about 15 to 35 pounds. They also have a short 4- to 8-inch tail and a spotted coat.”
Being so various in size and look, you might question how these 2 cats might ever be puzzled for one another. Smith said is it in bobcats’ nature to typically prevent people. So, individuals might not get a good appearance, making it tough to discriminate.
As weird as it might appear, some mountain-lion sightings have actually ended up being other animals, such as feral cats, domestic dogs, coyotes, black bears and even deer. From an outdoors point of view, these animals clearly look absolutely nothing like a mountain lion. However, Smith said specific conditions can impact what individuals see, making recognition hard.
“Many pictures and videos of supposed mountain-lion sightings turn out to be feral cats, once the animal’s size is compared to other objects in the background,” Smith said. “Also, if seen at the right angle or under poor lighting conditions, a relatively common animal can start to take the shape of something completely different.”
Mountain lions in Alabama? The information says no
Aside from the uncommon possibility of a launched or gotten away mountain lion, the information says there are no populations of this huge cat in Alabama. To reveal more of the secret surrounding mountain lions in Alabama, check out the Alabama Extension publication Alabama Cougars: Sorting Fact From Fiction at www.aces.edu. If you believe you have a mountain lion in your location, have a look at the Gathering Evidence to Confirm Cougars in Alabama video series on the ACES – Fresh from the Field YouTube channel.
