90°, FairWildlife of Florida: The Florida Panther
The Florida panther, a representative of the cougar family of cats, is a highly endangered species and lives exclusively in Florida. It is the state animal of Florida as well as the mascot for Florida’s National Hockey League team Because of how few Florida Panthers exist in the wild, the federal government monitors the population and health of the panther closely.
Habitat and Distribution
Years ago the Florida panther could be found across the southeastern United States, as far north as South Carolina and as far west as Mississippi. However, there are estimated to be only 100 adults still in existence and are found only on the southern tip of Florida. They can survive and thrive in a number of settings including forests, swamps and prairies. Because of their ability to live in many places, they will travel within a hundred miles of their home area.
Florida Panther Protection Provides a map of the historic distribution of the Florida panther when it lived throughout the southeastern US.
Florida Panther Net Describes the home ranges of panthers and their habitat.
Physical Characteristics
Panthers are light brown on the back and pale gray on their underside and males are typically 23-27 inches high, seven feet long from their nose to the end of their tale and 130 pounds on average. Females are typically shorter and only six feet from nose to the tip of their tale and ranging between 70 and 75 pounds. A panther’s eyes are usually amber colored and their tales have a black tip. The backs of their ears are also black, and the ridges of their backs are darker than the rest of their body.
The Florida Panther Society Provides several pictures of the Florida panther.
Defenders Offers a rare video taken of a Florida panther.
SeaWorld Details the size and weight of the Florida panther.
Behavior
Florida panthers, like most cats, are solitary animals that only come together for mating and raising their young. They are most active at night and rest during the heat of the day. Because humans do not resemble their prey, there have never been any reported attacks on a person. Panthers are inherently shy, and will not show themselves when humans are present. However, they are extremely territorial, and keep other animals and even members of their own species away from them.
National Wildlife Federation Provides information on the behavior of Florida panthers, including their communication patterns.
University of Michigan Details on the behavioral patterns of the Florida panther.
Diet and Eating Habits
Florida panthers are carnivores and their diets consist mainly of white-tailed deer. They will also eat smaller animals if the opportunity presents itself, including household pets and livestock if left outside over night. Panthers are an ambush predator, meaning they will stalk their prey until they are close enough to pounce, rather than chasing them down. They kill their prey by biting the back of their necks, biting their throats or biting their skulls. They will then use their tongue to remove the fur or feathers of their prey before eating them.
Nature Works Provides information on the diet and hunting style of the panther.
Big Cat Rescue Details the hunting style of the panther.
Reproduction and Caring of Young
While male Florida panthers reach sexual maturity at three years of age, females are sexually mature at eighteen months of age. When a male and female panther decide to mate, they will spend up to ten days together. Peak mating season is between December and March, and females produce liters between March and June. However, panthers can and do mate at any time of year. The gestation period can last up to 96 days, and up to four kittens can be born to a litter. Mothers are extremely protective of their young, and the kittens will stay with their mother for up to two years before moving out on their own.
Conservation Breeding Specialist Group A detailed paper concerning the population viability of the Florida panther.
ENature Details on how females care for their young.
Longevity and Causes of Death
The life span of a Florida panther is 8-15 years in the wild, and 10-20 years in captivity. Due to their low genetic variability, they are prone to diseases such as rabies, leukemia and bacterial infections as well as congenital heart defects. However, the increasing human population in Florida has made available space for a home range scarce, which causes two male panthers to fight to the death over an area. There has also been an increase in cars killing panthers while they are crossing the highway, with 14 deaths reported in 2007 alone.
National Parks Conservation Association Details the lifespan of the panther.
Journal of Wildlife Disease Details the causes of death in free-range Florida panthers.
National Institute of Health A research paper concerning the lifespan and cause of death in Florida panthers.
Endangerment and Conservation
The Endangered Species Act (ESA), as well as the state of Florida, lists the panther as an endangered species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature removed the panther from its critically endangered list, though many still consider the panther’s existence greatly threatened. There are several agencies in Florida dedicated to protecting the panther, as well as conservation parks. It has been illegal to hunt or kill a panther since 1982. The greatest threat to Florida panthers is the lack of space. Each breading unit (one male and two to five females) need almost 200 square miles of habitat to comfortably survive, which means a population of 240 would need up to 12,000 square miles. Small population size also equals a lack of genetic diversity, which weakens the population as a whole, making it even smaller. Recently, scientists successfully introduced eight female cougars from a Texas population to the Florida population, which has slowly increased not only the size of the population but the health of the population as well.
Friends of the Florida Panther A refugee network working to save the Florida panther.
Center for Biological Diversity A group that petitions the government on behalf of the Florida panther to secure and broaden its habitat.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation A press release regarding the panther in Florida.
