When a Florida panther is born, the first 2 months of its life are spent in a den made from dense scrub. Bad infrastructure in Hawaiʻi is putting wildlife at grave risk. But it’s for a good cause — The CLEO Institute is working with the VoLo Foundation and Miami ad agency Zubi to make an artistic statement about how climate change is decimating the panther population and other wildlife. Florida panthers will even eat alligators living in the Florida swamps. Kittens have a gray colored body, with black or brown spots, and five stripes that go around the tail. Much of their low-lying habitat could be flooded and destroyed by salt water if sea levels continue to rise. Ages at death average 7.5 years for females and just over five years for males. However, they are larger than those found in the neotropical realm of Central America and South America. During this time, there was an anti-predator sentiment and panthers were killed out of fear. The oldest known wild panthers were 20 and 14 years old at death for a female and male panther, respectively. Land use planning that takes into account the habitat requirements of Florida panthers continues to be a challenge for recovery. Shades of individual animals may vary considerably from grayish to reddish to yellowish. Your adoption supports our work to protect essential habitat, maintain habitat connectivity, and to educate landowners about coexistence. Gestation: About 90 days The Florida panther is the only puma (also known as cougar and mountain lion) population east of the Mississippi. 97% of our funds go towards program and support services, with only 3% going towards fundraising. Panthers were hunted and killed by settlers for sport or to protect livestock. By logging into your account, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, and to the use of cookies as described therein. The Florida panther has long had to deal with disease, car accidents, genetic disorders, extreme heat, hurricanes and even predators before cubs are old enough to open their eyes. Rarely do all kittens survive. Some Florida panthers have a crook at the end of the tail, which is thought to come from inbreeding. After this, it will hunt while under the close eye of its mother. It lives in cypress forests, thicket swamps and freshwater marshes. Florida panthers are very solitary animals. Once common throughout the southeastern United States, fewer than 100 Florida panthers (Puma concolor coryi) are estimated to live in the wilds of south Florida today. One of the most elusive large mammals in the U.S., the Florida panther lives in the swamps and forests of southwestern Florida. When European settlers arrived in the 1600s, the clear-cutting, building and other human activities that destroy, degrade and fragment habitat began, and the fear and misconceptions that led to panther persecution took root. How Much Of The Amazon Rainforest Is Left? Genetic restoration involved the release of eight female pumas (Puma concolor stanleyana) from Texas in 1995 into available panther habitat in South Florida. During the 1800’s and early 1900’s, habitat loss and hunting led to the panther’s near extinction. Exchange of genetic material between the two subspecies ceased as habitat in the southeastern U.S. became fragmented in the late 1800’s and throughout the 20th century. Historical persecution reduced this wide-ranging, large carnivore to a small area of south Florida.