The Cougar Up Close: teacher key

Cougars, grade 7 edition, written for 7th grade. The cougar goes by many names, lives from Canada to Chile, hunts deer, and raises kittens that grow up and leave their mother.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. What do people in Mexico, Central and South America call the cougar?
   • Pumas (answer)
   • Panthers
   • Catamounts
2. When are Florida panthers most active?
   • At noon
   • Between dusk and dawn (answer)
   • Only in winter
3. How often does a cougar typically make a large catch?
   • Every hour
   • Once a year
   • Every 7 to 10 days (answer)
4. A female with kittens may hunt as often as every 3 days. What does that tell you?
   • She may hunt more often than other cougars (answer)
   • She never hunts
   • She hunts less often
5. What happens to a cougar's spots as it grows?
   • They turn blue
   • They fade and are almost gone by age 1 (answer)
   • They get bigger
6. What does solitary mean?
   • Very loud
   • Quick on land
   • Alone (answer)

Words

• solitary: alone
• prey: hunted animals
• stalks: sneaks up
• ambushes: springs out
• territorial: guarding an area