Cougars range from rocky mountains to scrubby deserts, wherever prey can be found.
Respect for the cougar's hunting prowess and strength is well deserved. The cougar has sharp retractable claws, which can dig into the thickest deer or elk skin. Long canine teeth hook into a deer's tough hide, helping the cougar hold onto its prey. A single jerk of the cat's mighty forelimbs can snap an elk's neck. Reports claim that cougars have made vertical jumps of 15 feet and horizontal jumps of 45 feet and that a cougar cleared a 9 foot fence with a sheep in its mouth.