A Naturalist Study of the Mountain Lion. Often called the "ghost cat," the mountain lion is a master of stealth, utilizing massive paws and retractable claws to move completely silently through dense forest undergrowth and steep rocky ledges. This vintage naturecore illustration honors the sleek power of North America’s premier climbing cat, meticulously rendering its striking facial features and muscular form as it watches over its territory.

I ALMOST FORGOT I HAD TUMBLR. I have so much to catch you guys up on ^^

Day 2!

SCIENCE FRIDAY: Should we bring mountain lions back to the Northeast (U.S.)?

Big cats used to roam the entire United States. You might know them as mountain lions, pumas, cougars, or catamounts. Though they go by many names, they're actually all the same species. 

Their current population is mostly confined to the West, and part of Florida, though in recent years they’ve been spotted in other areas east of the Mississippi River. Most cougars were gone from the Northeast by the 1800s, with the last verified accounts in the 1930s. 

Mountain lion ecologist Mark Elbroch hopes to reintroduce these big cats back into their previous habitats in New England. But, should we? What are the benefits and drawbacks of reintroducing the apex predator into an ecosystem it's been away from for so long? 

Guest:

Dr. Mark Elbroch is the director of the puma program at Panthera, a big cat conservation organization. 

It becomes you becomes it becomes you. A blood that runs and runs and runs becomes itself becomes nothing. A gardener cannot tend to empty soil.

-The mountain lion's dialogue, Scarlet Hollow