Identification
Mountain lions and bobcats both live in Santa Clara County parks. Mountain lions have golden-tan fur with black-tipped ears and tails. They grow up to eight feet in length from nose to tail, weighing from 110-150 lbs. Look out for their rounded ears and their very long (35-48 inch) tails.
Bobcats have speckled fur that varies from orange to gray. They are much smaller than mountain lions at only about three feet from nose to tail, weighing from 15-28 lbs. Bobcats, unlike mountain lions, have tufted ears and short (about 5 inch) tails.
A mountain lion at Almaden Quicksilver County Park
A bobcat at a Santa Clara County park
(Photo by Senior Park Maintenance Worker Chaz Cassel)
Mountain lion tracks
Tracks are often the closest visitors get to an actual Mountain Lion. How many differences can you spot between the Mountain Lion pawprint and the Coyote print?
Note: Track size and shape can vary depending on substrate. Additional indicators are sometimes needed to accurately determine what animal made the track.
Learn more about mountain lions
The mountain lion has the largest range of any land mammal in the western hemisphere (except for humans)! Their range stretches from northern Canada to Argentina.
While adult mountain lions are solid-colored, mountain lion cubs have spots that help them blend into the landscape.
Mountain lions have “home ranges” from 30 to 125 square miles.
Mountain lions do not roar. They make a screeching sound that resembles a human scream called a caterwaul.
