Florida PantherFlorida Panther

By ZackBy Zack

AppearanceAppearance I am around 1.8 metres I am around 1.8 metres

long. My tail is long. My tail is somewhere between 60 somewhere between 60 and 90 cm. I weigh 59 and 90 cm. I weigh 59 kilos while my mate is kilos while my mate is

31-34 kilos. My mate and 31-34 kilos. My mate and I are solid tan with lighter I are solid tan with lighter fur on our bellies, while fur on our bellies, while

my 2 daughters are my 2 daughters are spotted. One thing about spotted. One thing about

us is,we have a small us is,we have a small head. We also have small head. We also have small

rounded ears, long rounded ears, long sensory whiskers, long sensory whiskers, long

retractable claws, a black retractable claws, a black tip on our tails and keen tip on our tails and keen

eyesight and hearing.eyesight and hearing.

HabitatHabitatI like to live in swamps and I like to live in swamps and deciduous forests like deciduous forests like

the Everglades and Big the Everglades and Big Cypress National Cypress National

Reserve , that’s where I Reserve , that’s where I met my mate. I currently met my mate. I currently live in the Loxahatchee live in the Loxahatchee National Wildlife refuge, National Wildlife refuge,

sometimes I see my sometimes I see my mate and my kittens mate and my kittens across Florida State across Florida State road 84 in the Big road 84 in the Big Cypress National Cypress National

Reserve. We live mainly Reserve. We live mainly in North America but I in North America but I

have heard some range have heard some range into South America.into South America.

DietDiet

My South American cousins My South American cousins love to feast on armadillo love to feast on armadillo

(not that I know how to do (not that I know how to do it) while my Canadian it) while my Canadian cousins eat beaver. I cousins eat beaver. I

primarily feast on white-primarily feast on white-tailed deer.(ooh, I get tailed deer.(ooh, I get

hungry just talking about it). hungry just talking about it).

ReproductionReproduction

My mating season is all My mating season is all year with a peak in year with a peak in

the winter/spring. My the winter/spring. My mate’s gestation mate’s gestation period was ninety period was ninety days. Took a while days. Took a while

actually. My mate had actually. My mate had 4 kittens though only 4 kittens though only my daughters lived.my daughters lived.(Would be nice to (Would be nice to

have another boy in have another boy in the family).the family).

Care of OffspringCare of Offspring

I’m not a female but I do I’m not a female but I do remember from my kitten remember from my kitten

days my mom would leave days my mom would leave for up to 36 hours to find for up to 36 hours to find

food. I remember that when food. I remember that when Ol’ mom left we would play. Ol’ mom left we would play. Mom looked after us for 2 Mom looked after us for 2 years before we set out on years before we set out on

our own. I remember 1 of my our own. I remember 1 of my brothers was really weak, so brothers was really weak, so

one day a van with these one day a van with these people in white coats took people in white coats took him. The van said ”panther him. The van said ”panther

captive breeding since captive breeding since 1991.”(Spooky eh? gives me 1991.”(Spooky eh? gives me

nightmares all the time.)nightmares all the time.)

EnemiesEnemies

I sometimes have to engage in I sometimes have to engage in combat with other panthers combat with other panthers

over food, territory and over food, territory and females(such as my mate). females(such as my mate).

But my main enemies are, oh But my main enemies are, oh they’re the dastardly humans they’re the dastardly humans with guns. But guess what? with guns. But guess what?

We can protect ourselves with We can protect ourselves with our keen eyesight and long our keen eyesight and long

sensory whiskers and my prize sensory whiskers and my prize possession, my claws. Also, possession, my claws. Also,

shooting is a felony so we are shooting is a felony so we are protected by the lawprotected by the law..

Am I endangered?Am I endangered?

Yes, I am critically endangered, there are Yes, I am critically endangered, there are

only 100-160 left in the wild! So if the only 100-160 left in the wild! So if the

following things keep happening, we following things keep happening, we

may die out. Threat no. 1- humans may die out. Threat no. 1- humans

drive so fast they don't see us crossing drive so fast they don't see us crossing

the road. Threat no.2-when farmers the road. Threat no.2-when farmers

see us they think we are going to eat see us they think we are going to eat

their livestock, so they shoot us. Threat their livestock, so they shoot us. Threat

no.3-sometimes we don’t breed within no.3-sometimes we don’t breed within

the small population of our kind, so the small population of our kind, so

purebred Florida Panthers are dying purebred Florida Panthers are dying

out from genetic diversityout from genetic diversity..

BibliographyBibliographyhttp://farm3.static.flickr.com/2651/3938538993_81f0081516.jpg

http://www.salthaven.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/fawn-for-website.jpg

http://easterncougar.org/CougarNews/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/mountainon.jplig_on.jplig

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http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hiUJJobB8kc/S7bHlkNU4OI/AAAAAAAAA1w/zuoPculPf3s/s1600/m22.gif

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