The Mountain Lion

8/30/2022 5:05:00 AM
What's the Difference Between a Mountain Lion and a Cougar? | HowStuffWorks
Image: animals.com

Do you know?

  • The mountain lion is a large cat species native to the Americas.
  • Mountain lions are territorial and solitary. They use physical signs like claw markings or feces to define their territory.

Let's explore more about this animal!

Let's learn some new words before you read the passage:

 

Listen and complete the passage.

foothills brushy approach mesa
canyons grace magnificent  


Just hearing the name of this animal brings fear to many people. The mountain lion has many names. You may recognize some of them, such as cougar, puma, and panther. The mountain lion is a hunter with and speed. Deer is the main prey of the mountain lion, as it eats about one deer a week. The mountain lion eats the deer and then goes to rest while the food digests. The mother mountain lion teaches her babies to hunt by practicing on rodents and rabbits.

The mountain lion makes its home in , , or country. They live in areas and woodlands where they can go unseen. Because people are starting to build homes up in these areas, there are more and more contacts with the mountain lion.

What should you do if you see a mountain lion in the wild? Experts say that you should not run. They say that if you run, you will look weak and like an animal worth chasing. You should remain calm and slowly back away.

What does a mountain lion look like? The mountain lion is usually light tan or light cinnamon-colored with black-tipped ears. It also has a very long tail. The larger lions weigh about 150 pounds and can get as long as 8 feet. This is not an animal to in the wild.

Read and answer the following questions.

The mountain lion

The mountain lion is the second-largest wild cat of North America. Image: pinterest

Just hearing the name of this animal brings fear to many people. The mountain lion has many names. You may recognize some of them, such as cougar, puma, and panther. The mountain lion is a magnificent hunter with grace and speed. Deer is the main prey of the mountain lion, as it eats about one deer a week. The mountain lion eats the deer and then goes to rest while the food digests. The mother mountain lion teaches her babies to hunt by practicing on rodents and rabbits.

The mountain lion makes its home in foothills, canyons, or mesa country. They live in brushy areas and woodlands where they can go unseen. Because people are starting to build homes up in these areas, there are more and more contacts with the mountain lion.

What should you do if you see a mountain lion in the wild? Experts say that you should not run. They say that if you run, you will look weak and like an animal worth chasing. You should remain calm and slowly back away.

What does a mountain lion look like? The mountain lion is usually light tan or light cinnamon-colored with black-tipped ears. It also has a very long tail. The larger lions weigh about 150 pounds and can get as long as 8 feet. This is not an animal to approach in the wild.

Source: Daily Warm-up Reading 4

The mountain lion _____.

  • only preys on carnivore animals
  • is called by a variety of names
  • lives in areas with warm climate

From reading the text, you know all of the following about the mountain lion EXCEPT _____.

  • their appearance
  • their natural habitat
  • their mating season

You should not run when you see a mountain lion in the wild because _____.

  • you cannot run faster than it
  • you might resemble its potential prey
  • you might attract other dangerous hunters

What animals can mountain lion cubs practice hunting?

  • rabbits, deer
  • pumas, rats
  • squirrels, mice

Why do encounters between people and the mountain lion occur more frequently?

  • Because the mountain lion starts foraging outside woodlands.
  • Because people chase the mountain lion on purpose.
  • Because construction works begin to be carried out in their habitat.

Build your vocabulary by learning these intensive phrases/idioms

I have been putting $50 aside every month in an attempt to _____ my savings.

  • build onto
  • build up
  • build around
  • build in

Complete the second sentence using the word given so that it has the same meaning to the first.

The ivy grows freely without any control in this part of the garden. (WILD)

=> The ivy is left to _____.

Choose the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s).

She saw that he had a gun and backed away.

  • evaluate
  • hide
  • approach
  • threaten