Home › Mammalia › Felidae › Florida Panther (Puma concolor coryi)
SPECIES PROFILE
Florida Panther (Puma concolor coryi)
Puma
IUCN STATUS
Critically Endangered
CONSERVATION STATUS
Critically Endangered
CLASS
Mammalia
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Restricted to approximately 5,000 km² in southern Florida — the only breeding population of cougars east of the Mississippi River
DIET
Carnivore
HABITAT
Subtropical and tropical lowland forests, wet prairies, cypress swamps, and cabbage palm hammocks of southern Florida
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Mammalia
ORDER
Carnivora
FAMILY
Felidae
GENUS
Puma
📋 Description
SIZE
1.8–2.2 m (nose to tail); males 45–72 kg; females 30–45 kg
COLORATION
Tawny to reddish-brown above; pale below; kinked tail distinctive among Florida individuals; no spots as an adult
ADAPTATIONS
Requires vast home ranges of 200–500 km²; uses cypress swamps and cabbage palm hammocks as daytime refuges; hunts white-tailed deer at night
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Subtropical and tropical lowland forests, wet prairies, cypress swamps, and cabbage palm hammocks of southern Florida
DIET
Carnivore
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Restricted to approximately 5,000 km² in southern Florida — the only breeding population of cougars east of the Mississippi River
REPRODUCTION
Females produce 1–3 kittens every 2–3 years after 92-day gestation; kittens spotted at birth; remain with mother for 1.5–2 years
DIET DETAILS
White-tailed deer is the primary prey; also wild hogs, raccoons, armadillos, and hares
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Vehicle collisions on US-41 and I-75; habitat fragmentation; inbreeding causing reproductive defects; mercury poisoning in prey
💡 Interesting Facts
1
The Florida Panther is one of the most endangered mammals in North America — fewer than 200 individuals remain, all confined to a tiny area of southern Florida.
2
By the 1990s the Florida Panther showed severe inbreeding effects including kinked tails and heart defects; a genetic rescue using Texas cougars reversed these problems and boosted population size.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Big Cypress National Preserve near Ochopee, FL, is the core habitat for Florida Panthers with occasional road sightings near Loop Road
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park near Copeland, FL, is critical Florida Panther habitat in cypress swamp
Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge near Naples, FL, is a dedicated reserve for the subspecies
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
Year-round but extremely rare; best chances are in Big Cypress National Preserve and Fakahatchee Strand; trail cameras near swamp edges.
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Dusk and dawn in Big Cypress National Preserve and Fakahatchee Strand near Naples; chance sightings from Loop Road (CR-94).
