Animals Unite !

Panther

The Florida Panther is no doubt one of the more endangered mammals of the United States and the world. The Seminoles have great respect for this "coo-wah-chobee" or big cat. This creature needs us all to show that same respect or else it will disappear forever in the wild.

Description:

The Florida Panther (scientific name is Puma concolor coryi) is tan in color and the underbelly and muzzle is white. It is a subspecies of the cougar family. Adult male panthers can weigh up to 150 pounds and can be up to 7 feet long. The females are smaller in weight and length.

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Habitat:

Florida Panthers, endangered, are on the brink of extinction. Once they were plentiful in Florida wild, but now there are only between 30 to 50 living in remote cypress swamps in Florida south of Lake Okeechobee. It is Florida's official state mammal and are under the protection of state and federal laws. They are predators and hunt other mammals like deer and wild hogs. They also eat other animals like raccoons and have even been known to eat alligators. They are solitary and can have a range of 275 square miles. Females give birth to average litters of 2-3 kittens. The kittens are born in dens of dense vegetation.

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Danger:

It is the continued loss of habitat that is the main danger for the Florida Panther. Other dangers include being hit by cars on highways and also mercury poisoning. The mercury is thought to come from contaminated raccoons that the panthers feed on.

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Programs:

More habitat area is being secured for the panthers. The Florida Panther Refuge is of one of these secure areas. It is one of the 58 refuges established under the authority of the Endangered Species Act.
Its website is: http://www.floridapanther.org/
The Florida Panther Habitat Preservation Plan, prepared by the Florida Panther Interagency Committee, works to identify Florida Panther habitat areas and also identifies threats to those habitats. It also works on finding options for habitat preservation.
http://www.atlantic.net/~oldfla/panther/inside.html

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Resources:

Books:
* Amazing Animals by the Editors of Time-Life Books
Time-Life Books, copyright 1990
* The Fight For Survival- Animals in Their Natural Habitats
by Peter Brazaitis and Myrna Watanabe,
Michael Friedman Publishing Group, copyright 1994
* Tiger Tales and Big Cat Stories by Deborah Chancellor
DK Publishing, copyright 2000
* Will We Miss Them? Endangered Species by Alexander Wright, Charlesbridge Publishing, copyright 1992
Websites:
* Florida Panther Society: http://www.atlantic.net/~oldfla/panther/panther.html
* Florida Panther Refuge: http://www.floridapanther.org/
* The Florida Panther Homepage: http://fl-panther.com/
* Florida Panther Net: http://www.panther.state.fl.us/
Graphics:
* Panther photo at top - copyright (c) Larry Richardson,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
* Logo at top: Some of the animals (mountain lion, manatee, and grizzly bear came from Corel Web Graphics (1996) and Corel Draw Version 9 (2000). The leopard is from IUCN-World Conservation Union Website, ghost bat is copyright(c) Perth Zoo, Western Australia, ocelot is courtesy of Tom Smylie of United States Fish and Wildlife Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife Service, bald eagle (both in logo and at top ) courtesy of Pomegranate Calendars, "Spirit of America", Shaefer & Hill
* Side bar logo is from Power Point 2000.

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