DESCRIPTION
The Florida panther is a large, long-tailed cat with a great deal of color variation: pale brown or rusty upper parts dull white or buffy under parts; tail tip, back of ears, and sides of nose are dark brown or blackish. Mature male panthers examined in the wild in Florida since 1978 have weighed from 102 to 154 pounds and measured nearly 7 feet from nose to tip of tail. Females were considerably smaller, with a weight range of 50 to 108 pounds and measuring about 6 feet (David, 1997).
FEEDING HABITS
Preliminary analyses of panther diets in the southwest Florida study area indicate that panthers subsist on a variety of mammalian prey dominated by white-tailed deer, wild hog, and in some areas raccoon. Analysis of 83 scats and 22 kills since 1986 indicate a difference in food habits between the north and south portions of the study area. Deer and hogs accounted for 42 percent and 22 percent, respectively, in the south, and 23 percent and 63 percent, respectively, in the north (David, 1997). Occurrence of small prey appeared similar between areas.
REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
Only preliminary data is available on Florida panther reproduction. Existing data indicates that breeding may occur throughout the year with a peak in the winter/spring period, a gestation period of around 90 to 95 days, litter sizes of 1 to 4 kittens, and a breeding cycle of 2 years for females successfully raising young to dispersal, which occurs around 18 to 24 months. A female has successfully reproduced at 22 to 23 months, and a male has possessed fertile sperm and exhibited reproduction at 26 to 30 months (Charles, 1998).......
