Cougar or lion?
How to tell them apart
Lions are much bigger, live in Africa and India, and have a tufted tail; males have a mane.
Both are plain tawny cats, but a cougar is much smaller, lives in the Americas, and has a long, thick tail with no dark tuft at the end.
Quick answers
They differ on 2 of the 8 quick answers: dangerous, awake when.
| Question | Cougar | Lion |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Mammal | Mammal |
| Carnivore? | Yes | Yes |
| Dangerous? differs | Can be | Yes |
| Domesticated? | No | No |
| Awake when? differs | Day & night | Night |
| Hibernates? | No | No |
| Kept as a pet? | No | No |
| Do people eat it? | No | No |
At a glance
| Question | Cougar | Lion |
|---|---|---|
| Found in differs | North America, South America | Africa |
| Habitat differs | Forest, Mountains, Scrub, Desert | Grassland, Scrub |
| Size | Large | Large |
| Length differs | – | 2.4–3.3 m including the tail |
| Weight differs | Males 53–72 kg, females 34–48 kg | 126–272 kg |
| Legs | 4 | 4 |
| Covered in | Fur | Fur |
| Lives differs | Alone | In prides |
| Lives for differs | 8–13 years | 10–14 years |
| Can fly | No | No |
| Swims | Yes | Yes |
| Lays eggs | No | No |
About each
Cougar
A large, plain-coated cat of the Americas, also called puma, mountain lion and panther. It can purr, but it can’t roar.
Lion
Africa's social big cat. Lions live in prides of related females and their cubs, defended by one or a few males, and a small population also survives in India's Gir Forest.
Sources
Last reviewed . The answers and notes come from each animal's own page, where every source is listed.
How each answer is decided: How we answer. More look-alikes: Side by side.