If the deer is not caught by then, the chase is over. A 300 yard (100 m) dash is about the best a lion can accomplish. The mountain lion, though a powerful predator, has a very small heart and lungs for its size, so it lacks the endurance for long chases.

Behavior: The mountain lion may wander widely in search of deer or other prey, but when it finds something suitable, it slowly sneaks up, trying to get as close as possible before the ambush and attack.

The bobcat typically pursues smaller prey, mainly jack rabbits, cottontails, birds, snakes and rodents, but on occasion has been known to take down a deer! The mountain lion feeds primarily on deer, but also takes javelina, bighorn sheep, jack rabbits, porcupines, squirrels, and many other small mammals. Any area that supports good prey populations will likely also have mountain lions and bobcats. Click to hear bobcat sounds HabitatД«oth cats are most common in rugged, heavily vegetated areas, but can be found in a variety of habitats, such as mountain forests, riparian canyons, and Sonoran Desert uplands. The bobcat usually has indistinct dark spots on its coat.

It has broad cheek ruffs on the sides of its face and a very short tail that is black-tipped on the dorsal surface and white underneath. The bobcat is much smaller, weighing only about 15 to 22 pounds (7 to 10 kilograms), though its long legs make it appear larger. The cat itself can be over 6 feet long, with heavy legs and large feet. Or grayish-brown with a nearly 3 foot long, heavy, black-tipped tail. Although the kittens have spotted coats for the first three months or so, the adult lion is a plain tawny A female weighs about 75 pounds, while the male can be up to 145 pounds (34 to 66 kilograms).

The mountain lion is the largest cat in the Sonoran Desert. Spanish names: puma, leГіn, leГіn de la sierra (mountain lion), gato montes (bobcat) Distinguishing Features Bobcat The bobcat is mostly nocturnal like the lion, it is secretive and shy, usually keeping to the more thickly vegetated areas and therefore not often seen by people. The bobcat isДЄ good climber, retreating to trees for safety, but it prefers to hunt on the ground. This small cat is solitary, avoiding other bobcats, and it is also careful to avoid mountain lions, which will kill it, given the chance. It hunts smaller prey and can more easily adapt to marginal habitats. The bobcat is both more common and more widely distributed in the Sonoran Desert than the mountain lion. In the Sonoran Desert lions spend their days resting in thick, brushy canyons, rocky outcrops, mine shafts, or any secluded place that provides sufficient cover. Lions help maintain the health of deer populations by culling out the weak, sick, old, or injured. They have been known to leap 23 feet in a single bound! Huge front paws with sharp claws help to grab the prey, while powerful jaws deliver the killing bite. Lions are built with long hind legs and powerful hindquarters, which give them excellent jumping ability and thrust for great bursts of speed. They are designed to efficiently kill animals larger than themselves. Lions are superbly adapted predators, an essential part of the Sonoran Desert ecosystem. Most people will never see a mountain lion in the wild, however, because it is a master of camouflage, slipping behind a bush or rock or scrap of shadow and disappearing. The lion is shy and elusive, yet we know there are healthy populations of these desert phantoms because we find their tracks, scats and the remains of kills theyвЂ™ve made. It is a massively powerful animal, yet lithe, graceful, beautiful, and mysterious. Probably no other animal evokes the majesty and awe of wild North America as much as does the mountain lion.

Mountain lion vs bobcat