Mountain Lion Sightings

Students study mountain lion sightings in Missouri. Mountain lions are large predators in the cat family. A mountain lion is shown below.

The students compare the two maps of Missouri below. The map in Figure 1 shows habitat suitability for mountain lions. The map in Figure 2 shows where mountain lions were seen between 1994 and 2021.

Living organisms like mountain lions need resources from the environment to survive and reproduce, including energy sources, space to live, and mates. Mountain lions are carnivorous predators that eat primary consumers like deer, rabbits, and bighorn sheep. They also eat opossums, raccoons, skunks, and coyotes. Mountain lions usually hunt at night and silently stalk or hunt prey from behind. Mountain lions are found in many different types of ecosystems across North America and can make their home anywhere there is shelter and prey.

A student studied facts about mountain lions. The list shows the student’s research.

Explain how one characteristic benefits species survival for the mountain lion.