Urban sprawl, converting diverse agricultural land to monocultures, or residential and commercial development has made it difficult for panthers to find enough territory, prey, and mates. Once abundant throughout the southeastern United States, Florida panthers have faced multiple threats, with habitat loss and fragmentation being the biggest. Panthers living in the vast wetlands of the Florida Everglades are forced to subsist on smaller prey and tend to be smaller in size as a result. The Florida panther primarily feeds on white-tailed deer and feral hogs but can eat smaller prey such as raccoons, armadillo, rabbits, birds, and even alligators. Adult males require territories of about 200 square miles, while females need home ranges of about 75 square miles. While Florida panthers use a variety of habitats, such as wetlands, swamps, upland forests, pastures, and citrus groves, they need dense, mature upland forests to thrive.
Panther litter size ranges from one to four kittens, born in a den created by the female. They are typically a tawny-beige color with a whitish-gray belly and black tips on their tail, ears, and nose. With a population of only around 200 adults and subadults, it is one of the most endangered mammals in the United States.įlor ida panthers are known for their elusiveness and secrecy, with their presence rarely seen. The Florida panther, also known as Puma concolor coryi, is a critically endangered subspecies of the puma and is found in southern Florida.
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