Puma (genus)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Puma'' (genus)}}
{{Taxobox
| name = ''Puma''<ref name=msw3>{{MSW3 Carnivora | id = 14000203 | pages = 544–545 }}</ref>
| image = CMM_MountainLion.png
| image_caption = ''[[Cougar|Puma concolor]]''
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
| classis = [[Mammal]]ia
| ordo = [[Carnivora]]
| familia = [[Felidae]]
| subfamilia = [[Felinae]]
| genus = '''''Puma'''''
| genus_authority = [[William Jardine (naturalist)|Jardine]], 1834
| range_map = Puma (genus) range.png
| range_map_caption = ''Puma'' ranges
| subdivision_ranks = [[Species]]
| subdivision =
''[[Cougar|Puma concolor]]'' <br/>
{{extinct}}''[[Puma pardoides]]''<br>
''[[Jaguarundi|Puma yagouaroundi]]''
| synonyms = 
''Herpailurus'' <small>Severtzow, 1858</small><br>
''Viretailurus'' <small>Hemmer, 1965</small>
| type_species = ''[[Cougar|Felis concolor]]''
| type_species_authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1771
}}

'''''Puma''''' is a genus in [[Felidae]] that contains the [[cougar]] (also known as the puma, among other names) and the [[jaguarundi]], and may also include several poorly known [[Old World]] fossil representatives (for example, ''[[Panthera pardoides|Puma pardoides]]'', or "Owen's panther," a large cougar-like cat of Eurasia's [[Pleistocene]]).<ref>Hemmer, H. (1965). Studien an "[[Panthera]]" schaubi Viret aus dem Villafranchien von Saint-Vallier (Drôme). ''Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen'' 122, 324–336.</ref><ref>Hemmer, H., Kahlike, R.-D. & Vekua, A. K. (2004). The Old World puma ''Puma pardoides'' (Owen, 1846) (Carnivora: Felidae) in the Lower Villafranchian ([[Upper Pliocene]]) of Kvabebi (East Georgia, [[Transcaucasia]]) and its evolutionary and biogeographical significance. ''Neues Jahrbuch fur Geologie und Palaontologie, Abhandlungen'' 233, 197–233.</ref>

The [[Jaguarundi]], formerly a member of this genus, was recently moved to its own separate genus of ''Herpailurus'' as a result of its differences.<ref name="iucn">{{IUCN2008|assessors=Caso, A., Lopez-Gonzalez, C., Payan, E., Eizirik, E., de Oliveira, T., Leite-Pitman, R., Kelly, M. & Valderrama, C.|year=2008|id=9948|title=Herpailurus yagouaroundi|downloaded=June 30, 2008}}</ref>

==Species==
===Current===
*''[[Cougar|Puma concolor]]'' <small>([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1771)</small>&nbsp;– Cougar
*{{extinct}}''[[Puma pardoides]]'' <small>([[Richard Owen|Owen]], 1846)</small>&nbsp;– Owen's Panther

===Former===
*''[[Jaguarundi|Herpailurus yagouaroundi]]'' <small>([[Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire|Geoffroy]], 1803)</small>&nbsp;– Jaguarundi

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{commonscat-inline|Puma|''Puma''}}
* {{wikispecies-inline|Puma}}

{{Carnivora|Fe.}}



{{Feline-stub}}



{{Project Mammal Genera}}