Proceedings of the Ninth Mountain Lion Workshop - Carnivore ...

Intra-specific Variation in Cougar Behavior in the Southern Greater
Yellowstone Ecosystem
Dan McCarthy, Craighead Beringia South, P.O. Box 147, Kelly, WY 83011, USA,
danmccarthy26@yahoo.com
Marilyn Cuthill, Craighead Beringia South, P.O. Box 147, Kelly, WY 83011, USA,
chambley56@hotmail.com
Travis Bartnick, Craighead Beringia South, P.O. Box 147, Kelly, WY 83011, USA,
travisdbartnick@yahoo.com
Drew Reed, Craighead Beringia South, P.O. Box 147, Kelly, WY 83011, USA,
drew@bswy.us
Howard Quigley, Craighead Beringia South, P.O. Box 147, Kelly, WY 83011, USA,
hquigley@attglobal.net
Derek Craighead, Craighead Beringia South, P.O. Box 147, Kelly, WY 83011, USA,
Derek@bswy.us
ABSTRACT Cougar behavior, as well as mammal behavior, is considered to be
relatively static in terms of the social interactions, social tolerance, and spacing behavior.
However, this lack of variation may be a reflection of the lack of intensive research. New
technology for tracking cougars and other wildlife has provided opportunities to
document more fully the interactions between cougars. We present several examples of
how intensive, day-to-day tracking and new technology have provided documentation of
heretofore little-documented behaviors for cougars. We provide evidence for cougar
interactions gathered in the southern greater Yellowstone ecosystem. For example, a
female cougar and her male kitten visited her adult offspring and kittens in the summer of
2006 and the two family groups spent several days together. The adult cougar and kittens
were visited while feeding on an elk by an adult male; the two adults and three kittens
apparently tolerated each other at the kill site. The adult male and the three kittens were
captured and collared at that site. After the adult female was legally harvested, her three
large kittens (approx. 14 mo. of age) traveled with a family group of an adult female and
three kittens of approximately 6 months of age. These types of intra-specific behaviors,
although uncommon, may change the understanding of cougar social interactions and
spacing behavior.
Proceedings of the Ninth Mountain Lion Workshop
251