Question: are pumas and panthers and cougars the same animal?
Answer: What's in a name? Mountain lion, puma, cougar, panther—this cat is known by more names than just about any other mammal! But no matter what you call it, it's still the same cat, Puma concolor, the largest of the small cat species. ... All of these names are considered correct, but scientists usually use the name puma.