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Florida Panther
Puma concolor coryi
The Florida panther, Florida’s state animal, is one of the most endangered mammals on earth. It is tawny brown on the back and pale gray underneath. The Florida panther is one of 30 Puma concolor subspecies known by many names – puma, cougar, mountain lion, painter, catamount and panther.
Height 23-27 inches at the shoulder for males; females are smaller
Length
7 feet from nose to tip of tail for males; 6 feet for females
Weight males
average 130 lbs; females 70-75 lbs
Lifespan 10-15 years
Diet
Staples Mostly white-tailed deer.
Also known to eat feral hog,
rabbit, raccoon, armadillo and birds. When people who live near panthers
leave their pets and small livestock out in the open at night, panthers have
been known to take these animals opportunistically.
Population
Estimated at fewer than 100 adults and subadults in the only known breeding population (South Florida).
Range
Historically ranged across the southeastern United States including Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and parts of Tennessee and South Carolina. Now, the breeding population is found only in the southern tip of Florida, south of the Caloosahatchee River. In recent years, young male panthers have traveled as far as northeast Florida. Females do not roam as widely.
Behavior
Panthers are habitat generalists, meaning that they use a variety of habitat types, including forests, prairies and swamps.
They are solitary and territorial animals that travel hundreds of miles within their home range. Panthers are mostly active between dusk and dawn, and rest during the heat of the day. Males have a home range of 200 square miles and females about 75 square miles.
Panthers are usually quiet, but they do communicate through vocalizations. Sounds they make have been described as chirps, peeps, whistles, purrs, moans, screams, growls, and hisses. Females signal their readiness to mate by yowling or caterwauling.
Reproduction
Mating Season Throughout the year with a peak in
winter/spring
Gestation About 90 days
Litter size 1-4 kittens
Rarely do all kittens survive. Kittens are born with dark spots that soon
fade away as they become adults. They stay with their mother for up to two
years.
Threats
Habitat loss and fragmentation due to human development, collision with vehicles, territorial disputes between panthers (intraspecific aggression), inbreeding resulting from an isolated population, mercury poisoning, parasites and disease (such as feline leukemia and feline distemper).
Legal Status/Protection
Federally listed as Endangered (Federal Register, 1967) and state listed as Endangered. *Endangered Species Act; Florida Endangered and Threatened Species Act; Florida Administrative Code; (Georgia) Protection of Endangered, Threatened, Rare or Unusual Species; and Georgia Code. **CITES Appendix 1.
* The Endangered Species Act requires the US federal government to identify species threatened with extinction, identify habitat they need to survive, and help protect both. In doing so, the Act works to ensure the basic health of our natural ecosystems and protect the legacy of conservation we leave to our children and grandchildren.
** Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international treaty with 172 member countries. Appendix I listed species cannot be traded commercially. Appendix II listed species can be traded commercially only if it does not harm their survival.
How You Can Help
- Help Florida panthers and other wildlife by adopting a panther today at our Wildlife Adoption Center.
- Take the Watch Out for Wildlife Pledge!
For additional information
Defenders' Florida Panther Recovery Efforts
Florida Panther Net
Listen to Florida panthers on Florida Panther Net
Watch this video from Brian Czarnik to learn more about the dangers facing Florida panthers.
