Jumping Animals

     The world record for the high jump is just a smidgen under 8 feet and one half inch; it’s held by Javier Sotomayor of Cuba, who set the record in 1993. In 1991 American Mike Powell set the world record in the long jump at 29 feet 4 inches. Impressive, but animals can do better. 
     Red kangaroos hop along on their powerful hind legs and at a pretty good rate of speed...over 35 miles an hour. But they fall short of setting any human records. They can cover up to 5 feet in a single leap and jump 6 feet high.
     Coyotes can clear a 6-7 foot fence barely touching it. Penguins can't fly, but they can jump over 9 feet, depending on their species. 
     Lions and tigers can jump almost equally high. The vertical leap record for a tiger is more than 12 feet, and the lion is just a few inches less. 

     The winner though is the puma or mountain lion or puma or cougar or panther. This cat is known by more names than just about any other mammal! But no matter what you call it, it's still the same cat. 

the Puma

     Their physique allows it great leaping and short-sprint ability. They can leap as high as 18 feet in one bound and as far as 40 to 45 feet horizontally. 

Puma Facts: 
* Unlike other big cats, they cannot roar. Instead, the large feline purrs like a house cat. 
* They have similar body types to house cats, only on a larger scale. They have slender bodies and round heads with pointed ears. They vary between 5-9 feet from head to tail. While males can weigh up to 150 pounds, females weigh less, topping out at about 100 pounds. 
* The coat of the cougar is a grayish tan to reddish color with lighter parts on the underside. The tail has a black spot on the end.
* The cougar’s established range includes western North America, a small region in Florida, and most of South America. 
* Generally they prey on deer but also feed on smaller animals if necessary, including domestic animals and livestock. After killing a large animal, a cougar hides the carcass and eats in the coming days. 
* For the most part, the cougar has no natural enemies (except for humans) and sits atop the food chain. 
* During most of their lives, cougars are solitary creatures. They interact only to mate, which can happen at any time of year. Females can breed as early as 2-3 years old and give birth to 2-3 kittens at a time. They raise the young while the males return to their solitary lifestyles. 
* At around two years old, cougar offspring will leave their mother to start their own life. Some travel far to establish their own territory as cougars need a lot of room to roam. 
* A healthy cougar in the wild can live to around 10 years of age. In captivity, cougars can live as long as 20 years.