![]() Note: all sources are from Wild Cats of the World. There are a couple of other contenders however: the caracal which probably has the highest jump of all the cats on average or consistently and the serval which can also jump incredibly high from a standing start. My impression is that the puma is the greatest jumper of all the cats on the planet. My information comes from books and hard references. Some of this information is circulating on the internet. Wikipedia states that they can jump 18 feet (5 meters) vertically and up to 45 feet (14 meters) horizontally (Source AZ Animals). In 1971 the first signature sneaker, the Puma 'Clyde' was released, as in New York Knicks legend Walt 'Clyde' Frazier. One website says that pumas have been seen to leap 40-45 feet horizontally and 18 feet vertically. Therefore, the answer to the question is probably yes under the correct circumstances and depending upon the individual animal. The only information that I have on that is from one account (visual record) which ‘describes a female puma sitting near her kill, leaping over a two-meter-high mesquite bush and catching a vulture in midair as it was about to land on the shrub’ (source: Wild Cats of the World). Some people ask whether the puma can jump a six-foot high wire fence. Occasionally they can catch the fast pronghorn (source: Ockenfels RA 1994 Mountain lion predation on pronghorn in central Arizona). My guess is that the puma can run up to 50 miles an hour as a maximum in very short bursts. One puma was recorded overtaking and killing a javelina in a 200-meter chase over desert terrain which it seemingly ignored (source: Van Pelt AF 1977 in A mountain lion kill in southeast Texas). ![]() It is believed that they are adapted for jumping (source: Gonyea WJ 1976 – Adaptive differences in the body proportions of large felids). The Puma has powerful and relatively hind legs allowing the animal to attain high speeds in short distances. Although the cheetah chases prey down while the puma ambushes prey in classic feline style. This allows for an increased lumbar flexion while running which is a characteristic that it shares with the cheetah. The puma has a relatively long spinal column. Essay on Cat Behavior Toggle Child Menu.Wild Cats of Asia (for kids) Toggle Child Menu.
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