PUMA CONCOLOR – FLORIDA PANTHER – APEX SPECIES
The Florida panther’s historical range once included the southeastern U.S. from Arkansas to North Carolina, including all of Florida. One of the most threatened animals in the world, the shy and elusive Florida panther now resides in an isolated pocket within a mere 5% of its historic range. Since 1973, the panther has been listed as an Endangered Species by federal law. The breeding population of Florida panthers is restricted to the area south of Lake Okeechobee, and their exact numbers are not known. Still, it is believed that only 120-230 adult panthers remain.
In the early 1990s, there were fewer than 50 individuals which led to inbreeding depression and genetic defects including kinked tails and cowlicks on their backs. To help restore their genetic diversity eight Texas pumas were brought into Florida. This helped restore and strengthen the population.
Loss of habitat is the greatest threat to the Florida panther. Males require home ranges of up to 200 square miles, and females up to 75 square miles. Their range, like those of other wild cats, depends on the availability of food sources. The Florida panther preys mostly on white-tailed deer, raccoons, and feral hogs. Armadillos and rabbits are other prey items.
Young male panthers roam great distances in search of new territory. When panthers wander, they are in danger of being struck by automobiles. This is the largest cause of panther deaths every year. Left alone, panthers can live up to 12 years old or more.
Increased awareness, more speed zones for panthers where they cross, more wildlife underpasses and overpasses, as well as a continuous Florida wildlife corridor can aid their survival. Where they are available, panthers use underpasses. Since they are solitary, another common cause of death is interspecies aggression as individuals try to stake a claim to a territorial range.
Male panthers weigh 100 to 160 lbs. and females weigh 70 to 100 lbs. A male and female panther will stay together for about a week. After a gestation period of about 93 days, one to six kittens are born. Kittens are born spotted to better blend in with the foliage where they hide when their mother leaves the den. Their blue eyes open when they are about 3 weeks old. The young stay with their mothers until they are 1 ½ to 2 years of age. Florida panthers belong to the largest cat family that can purr.
There are physiological differences between the Florida panther subspecies and other cougars in North America. They are smaller, have longer legs, and their skull is flatter with a broader nasal bone. This is believed to be an evolutionary adaptation to the high humidity in Florida.
There is no such thing as a black or melanistic panther. The term “black panther” relates to melanistic leopards or jaguars, a name possibly originating from the genus for these greater cats, Panthera.
As a symbol of our beautiful wilderness, the iconic, majestic Florida Panther deserves our full protection.