Florida PantherFlorida PantherPuma concolor coryiPuma concolor coryi

Florida Panther Florida Panther ((Puma concolor coryi)Puma concolor coryi)

• Florida’s State Animal• Large predatory animal of

Florida region• Subspecies of North American

Cougar• Weight up to 150 pounds• Height up to 27 inches at the

shoulder• Length 6-7 feet• Lifespan 10-15 years

• Eats white tailed deer, hogs, rabbits, raccoons, armadillo and birds

• Litter size 1-4 kittens but most do not survive

HabitatHabitat

• Southern Florida Pine forests palm forest and swamp lands. Each panther requires a large territory.

• One male and two to five females, requires about 200 square miles.

• Previous ranges include Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and parts of Tennessee and South Carolina

ThreatsThreats• Growing urban and agricultural

areas• Habitat destruction• Habitat fragmentation• Habitat degradation• Inbreeding because of smaller

territories• Insufficient numbers of large

prey

• Mercury and other contaminants from the animals they eat

• Disease

• Negative public perception

• Territorial disputes between panthers

• Hunting

Current statusCurrent status• Florida panthers have been pushed to the

southern parts of Florida

• Critically endangered subspecies of cougar listed by the U.S. fish and wildlife service in 1967

• Number of Florida panthers in the wild is estimated from 80-100

• Predicted to go extinct in 40 years because of the decrease in genetic diversity.

• Often killed by oncoming traffic

Recover effortsRecover efforts

• Secure, increase, and enhance habitat • Breeding panthers in captivity for later release into the

wild• Introduced females of a closely related Texas population

to increase biodiversity.

• Scientists use radio collars, and automatically triggered cameras to monitor their movements.

• Increase support for the recover of Florida panthers

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