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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
Video