This cougar art print is printed on acid-free paper that will last a hundred years, and is double matted in neutral colors chosen to compliment the print, yet match any decor.

Each art print is backed with cardboard, ready to frame, and is enclosed in a plastic bag for protection.



This is a limited edition printing of 100. Order early to get low numbers.

This art print measures approximately 8x10 inches, including the mat. The mat pictured is representative, the one you receive may vary. If you are ordering more than one print, we will try to match mat colors when available.



This item can be shipped internationally. If additional shipping charges are required outside the continental US, we will contact you after your order is placed. We can ship up to four 8x10s inside the continental US in one package for the $6.95 Priority Mail flat rate. If your entire order will fit in a 9x11 US Priority Mail Flat Rate envelope, enter coupon code ARTPRINTS when you check out to receive this rate.

The Cougar has over 40 names in English, of which cougar, puma, panther and mountain lion are the most popular. Other names include Catamount, Painter, Ghostwalker, and Mountain Screamer. In North America, "Panther" is used most often to refer the Florida Panther sub-population of mountain lion, which is now nearly extinct.

One folktale tells the story of Native Americans who would bring pelts to trade in what is now New York City. When the Europeans and white settlers would question why only skins of females (lacking the manes of male lions) were brought for trade, the Native Americans explained that the males lived far away in the mountains, playing a joke of sorts on the newcomers. This is why cougars, who are not specific to mountain regions at all, came to be known as “mountain lions.”

Cougar comes from French naturalist-explorer Count Georges-Louis Leclerc Buffon, who called Puma concolor "cuougar." This usage was derived from the Brazilian Portugese word cuguacuarana, which in turn came from the Tupi Indian word susuarana, which means “false deer”.

Lake Erie was named after the Indian people who lived along the lake's southern shore, an area where cougars were abundant. The cougars there were called Erielhonan, meaning "long tail" and the Native Americans living there were called the Erie or Cat Nation. In 1600, some 14,000 Eries lived in villages between what is now Buffalo, NY and Sandusky, Ohio. In 1656, the Erie were almost exterminated by the Iroquois League. The surviving captives were either adopted or enslaved, and the Erie tribe became extinct.

Another native american legend says the spirit of the Cougar chose to take the earth and walk as a spiritual hunter, to teach unconditional leadership, patience and determination. They call this spirit the Ghostwalker. Cougar medicine is associated with leadership and teaches decisiveness in the use of personal power.

In Florida until the 19th century, when "panther" became the most common term, the cougar was referred to as "tiger," which is why several important Seminole historical leaders had Tiger as part of their names, even though there are no tigers in North America. Seminole society is divided into groups called clans based on descent through females and named after animals. One of the Seminole clans is the panther clan. Others are the bird, snake, and deer clans. Traditionally, Seminole medicine people have come from the panther clan. The panther is thought to be a favorite of the Creator and to have special powers. Panther tails and claws are thought to alleviate muscle disease and to increase strength and endurance.

The Seminoles caution their children to be quiet in the early evening when the panther is likely to be hunting. They believe a panther whose prey has been frightened away will bring illness on the village.

The Cherokee called the cougar Klandagi or "lord of the forest;" the Chickasaw called it Ko-icto or "cat of god." The Cree called it Katalgar or "greatest of wild hunters," and the Zuni called it "father of the game."

The Navajo name for cougar means "walking silently among the rocks." Natives of Puget Sound called cougars "fire cats" and believed that each fall the cat carried fire from the Olympic mountains to Mt. Rainier, starting a forest fire along the way. The Potawatomi of the Great Lakes region both feared and revered the Underwater Panther, the master of the underworld and a blend of the panther, deer, snake, and bird of prey.

Puma is the name the Incas gave this cat in their language, and means "mighty magic animal." Panther is a general term for cats that have solid-colored coats, so it was used for pumas as well as black jaguars. All of these names are considered correct, but scientists usually use the name puma.