Intraspecific Aggression in Florida Panthers

Intraspecific aggression is competition between male panthers for territory. It often results in death or serious injury to the panthers involved. Habitat protection is essential to reducing the number of panther deaths from intraspecific aggression.

Although intraspecific aggression is a natural behavior, this type of mortality is increased by continued habitat loss to development, as male panthers compete to survive in ever-shrinking habitat.

A recent change in panther behavior is also troubling -- males killing females. Biologists have witnessed an increase in the number of females killed by males killing females since 2001. Males kill other males in territorial fights, but male homes ranges have always overlapped those of several females.