Welcome to the Panther Habitat Panther Classification Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae Genus: Puma Species: Concolor Subspecies (Southern U.S): P.c. coryi Who Are Florida Panthers? The Florida panther is often confused with a mountain lion, puma, or cougar. It is thought that these animals were once the same. The species concolor historically roamed all over the United States but as settlers moved west, the shy concolor was pushed out of their natural habitat. Today, there are several subspecies of the Puma concolor in different parts of the country. Along with the puma, mountain lion and cougar, the Florida panther shares many traits with the catamount and painter. The panther was nominated as Florida s state mammal in 1982 after the students of Florida thought it was the perfect symbol for the sunshine state. Today the panther is one of the state s major concerns for rehabilitation. Only the combination of individual and government help will revive this mammal from the brink of extinction. What Do They Look Like? Panthers like most other organisms exhibit sexual dimorphism where the males and females exhibit slight differences in appearance. The male are about 2 feet tall making them slightly taller than the female who is only 1.5 feet tall. The males are also 7 feet long from the tip of their nose to the tip of their tail while the female is only 6 feet long. Besides their size, there is no true difference between males and females. There are also great differences between the panthers and other subspecies of Puma concolor. The Florida panther has a
whorl of hair on their back. They also have a bend at the tip of their tail. These characteristics do not define a panther, but are instead thought to be a consequence of inbreeding. Finally the skull shape is remarkably different between the subspecies in the area. The skull of the Florida panther has a high arch in the nasal bone on a very broad skull. This is thought to be a result of the climate because the panther shares this trait with other organisms in places with high humidity (northwest coast of the United States). Contrary to popular belief the panther is not black. The confusion comes from the similarities in appearance between many of the large cats. Large black cats are either leopards or jaguars. Both male and female panthers have dual coloration, which means they have two very distinct colors on their bodies. On the tops of their backs panthers are tawny brown while their bellies are very light grey. What Are Some Signs a Panther Is Around? Many panthers will mark their territory. Some of these marks include scratch marks under trees. A scratch mark is a small trough in loose soil or sand. Around the trough there are piles of pine needles or dead leaves. This is where the panther will leave a scent (feces or urine) to warn others against entering their territory. Panthers will also leave scratches on trees within the forest. These marks are hard to see because the panther has such fine sharp claws. The marks are very thin and tend to blend in with the bark of the wood. Larger claw marks are normally bears claws. Scientists look for the markings as an indication that panthers are in the area so the panthers can be protected. What Kind of Tracks Do They Make? A panther track is about the size of a softball unlike the common house cat that has a paw print about the size of a quarter. A panther has five toes on both its front and rear feet. Unlike a human only four of the toes can be seen in a print. Just like many other cats, the front print is slightly more rounded. Most panthers do not leave claw tracks when they walk because they keep them retracted to save them from getting dull. What Is Their Place in Nature? The Florida panther is a carnivore so it has a special place in nature. Many scientists think that the presence of large predators, like the panther, is a good indication of the health of an ecosystem. 2
Habitat Since the carnivores need prey animals to survive there is a correlation between a healthy prey population and the presence of predators. Without the prey there can be no predators. The Florida panther also helps the ecosystem by keeping the populations of wild deer at a sustainable level. Without large predators like the panther, black bear, and wolf, the deer populations would grow exponentially and would over graze most of the plants in the area. It would be a cascade of problems to arise. Are They Endangered? The Florida panther is one of the most endangered mammals in the world. This large cat has been hunted for various reasons over the years. In the past farmers were afraid the panther would kill all their livestock and so they hunted it to protect their investments. As time passed hunters took an interest in the large cats for their fur, this further reduced the population of panthers across the United States. With the population of the panther already on a decline, the growth of suburban areas just worsened the problem. As humans began to build roads through forests and grasslands, the panther s natural habitat was being destroyed. This continues to occur even today when panthers are a protected species. Now only patches of their natural habitat remains, this is called habitat degradation. The panther is a generally shy animal and will not normally cross busy roads or into suburban areas this causes the panther to stay confined in areas where many panthers reside which causes problems such as inbreeding, food shortage, and competition for dominance. Due to the fact they are not being hunted anymore the dangers to the Florida panther are indirect results of destruction to their habitat. With no continuous habitat the panther is now losing their major food sources causing the panther to travel into areas they would not normally go (across roads). In order to best protect the Florida panther is to stop habitat loss. There are several efforts in place to help restore the Florida panther s population. What Kinds of Adaptations Have They Made? As the loss of habitat continues, the Florida panther is slowly adapting to the new possibilities for survival. Male Florida panthers use to travel great distances after they left their mother in order to avoid mating with a close relative. Since less travel means less possibility of death, the males are staying closer to home. This has two advantages, the first being that they are less likely to cross 3
roads where they can be hit by cars, but it also means there is more of a possibility of finding a mate. Since the population of panthers is less than a hundred, a panther is not likely to run across another outside of the protected areas. However, this poses many other problems for the panther, such as inbreeding. Inbreeding is where close relatives mate and is dangerous because it can spread many hereditary diseases. How Do They Hunt? Panthers will hunt during dusk and dawn for better camouflage. Panthers like most large cats are very patient hunters. They will stalk their prey from afar to wait for the perfect opportunity to strike. Once this opportunity presents itself the panther will rush the prey, usually resulting in a quick a quick chase. Panthers can reach speeds of 35 mph for short distances in order to catch up with their meal. Once the prey is close enough, the panther will pounce and bring down their kill with a bite to the head or throat. A panther will usually hide their kill and eat off it for several days. This means the panther only has to hunt about every eight days depending on the size of their kill. Where Do Florida Panthers Live? Historically the Puma concolor ranged throughout most of the south. They could be seen in Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Some could be seen as far north as Tennessee and South Carolina. Today these magnificent creatures can only be seen in Florida. Populations can be seen in southern Florida around the tip of the state. Recently wild panthers have been spotted in northern Florida. What Is Their Habitat in the Wild Like? The panther can live in a variety of habitats like prairies, swamps and forests. Each habitat must have certain characteristics to help the panther survive. Panthers must live in a place that has larger prey for them to feed on. These animals like to survive on deer and wild boar so most wild panthers will be found in areas where these animals also live. Panthers also need a habitat that has a water source close by. Finally they need an area that has areas that are good for hiding. When panthers are young, they are easy prey for many other organisms, so mothers will hide their young in dens or palmetto thickets. Where Can the Florida Panther Be Found Today? Today the Florida panther can be seen in many museums around Florida. Conservation efforts are 4
Habitat trying to rebuild the natural populations but the process is slow going. Panthers can be seen in several zoos throughout Florida as well as the wild life refuge located in Collier County. Here 26,400 acres are dedicated to the Florida panther. Although even with in the refuge it is a privilege to see a Florida panther. How Do Panther Families Live? Florida panthers are a polygamous species meaning the males and females will mate with many different individuals during their lifetimes. Once a pair has mated, they will stay with each other for about a week, hunting and sleeping together. After this point the male will leave so the female can raise the young alone. Panthers live about 15 years, so this cycle will repeat about 5 or 6 times within their life. What Is Their Life Cycle? Panthers are typically solitary animals unless they have a litter of kittens. A mother will raise their young and hunt with them for a few years but after that point the males and females will go their separate ways. Males will have a range of 520 square kilometers, in which they hunt and find females. A mother panther will have a litter of one to four kittens in late spring. The babies are born with spots to help them blend in to their den, as they grow older they will loss these spots. The mother will stay with the kittens for the first couple of weeks. During this time she will rarely leave their side unless it is to hunt. After this time, the kittens should have opened their eyes and are able to move around the den. The mother will slowly start leaving the kittens alone for longer periods of time. She will start by leaving the kittens for short periods of time and will gradually build up to leaving them for extended periods of time. While the mother panther is away the kittens will practice their hunting techniques by playing and sharpening their teeth. Once the babies are old enough, usually about two months old, the mother will take them out to hunt with her. She will have them wait on the sidelines at first, so they can watch how she stalks her prey. But eventually the babies will help her hunt. The family will continue like this for up to two years. During this time the mother will not have any more kittens. After this period of time the kittens have now reached maturity and are ready to find their own mates. The mother will also start looking for another mate. It is these long periods between litters that are the cause slow results with conservation efforts. 5
References and Further Reading Carnivore Conservation. Center for Biological Diversity. 18 Jan 2012 < http://www.biological diversity.org/campaigns/carnivore_conservation/ index.html >. Florida Panther. Center for Biological Diversity. 18 Jan 2012 < http://www.biological diversity.org/species/mammals/florida_panther/ index.html >. Florida Panther Facts and Video Puma Concolor Coryi Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife. Defenders of Wildlife. 13 Jan. 2012. <http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/panther.php >. Florida Panther Florida State Symbols Symbols Florida Facts Florida Division of Historical Resources. Florida Division of Historical Resources. 08 Jan. 2012. < http://www.flheritage.com/facts/symbols/symbol.cfm?id=6 >. Florida Panther National Wildlife Federation. Home National Wildlife Federation. 1996. Web. 18 Jan. 2012. < http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/wildlife-library/mammals/florida- Panther.aspx >. Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Southeast Region. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 14 Nov. 2011 <http://www.fws.gov/floridapanther >. Lorem Ipsum Florida Panther Puma Concolor Coryi NatureWorks. New Hampshire Public Television. 18 Jan 2012 <http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/floridapanther.htm. Dolor Handbook: Natural History : Introduction. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commision. 08 Jan 2012 <http://www.floridapanthernet.org/index.php/handbook/history/>. Photographs by Mark Conlin Habitat Tracker is a research project of the Florida State University, and is funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education (R305A100782) http://tracker.cci.fsu.edu/ 6