Learning Unix for OS X

Colophon

The animal on the cover of Learning Unix for OS X is the mountain lion (Felis concolor), also known as a cougar, puma, mountain cat, catamount, or panther, depending on the region. This large, solitary cat has the greatest range of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere, extending from the Yukon in Canada to the southern Andes of South America. Although large, the mountain lion is more genetically similar to the domestic cat than to true lions. Like smaller felines, the mountain lion is nocturnal.

Adult mountain lions generally are a solid red or brown color. This permits them great camouflage while stalking their prey in the desert, mountainous regions, and forests. Full-grown male mountain lions can weigh upwards of 150 pounds and be 8 feet long, including the tail. Females are smaller and weigh around 80 pounds. They live for approximately 8–10 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity, although only 1 in every 6 kittens survives to reach adulthood. They are extremely agile creatures, as their long hind limbs allow them to cover a distance of 40 feet in a single leap.

There is a difference in the structure of their voice box from other large cats. Due to this, mountain lions cannot roar; instead, they produce a high-pitched scream. This shrill scream has earned them a place in American folklore. To the Apache and Walapai of Arizona, the wail of the mountain lion was a harbinger of death. The Algonquins and Ojibwas believed that the mountain ...