Cougars in the northwest are usually a ruddy brown, similar a deer's coloring. Elswhere, they range from light tan to nearly black. An endangered subspecies, the Florida panther, is found in the Florida Everglades. Habitat - Cougars use a variety of mountain habitats from the lowland to the high country. Food - Cougars are predators, hunting for animals as diverse as grasshoppers, mice, snowshoe hares and even elk.
Deer are their main food source.
Habits - Cougars are secretive and generally avoid human contact, though during the past several years, the frequency of sightings in the park has increased. While sightings and cougar - human encounters are still very rare, visitors are encouraged to hike in small groups, rather than alone, and to keep small children closely supervised while hiking. Concerns - Like most of our continent's large predators, the cougar was systematically eliminated from much of its range during the early part of this century. In protected areas such as Olympic National Park, however, cougars have made a comeback. Their presence in Olympic is an indication of the park's wildness.