where do panthers live?
Panthers used to live throughout Florida. Now they live in national and state parks, and private lands outside of the parks. Panthers also live on undeveloped lands throughout southwestern Florida, and we need to buy that land, so it can remain a natural panther habitat. Panthers live on drylands like hardwood hammocks, and pine flatwoods. They make dens in saw palmetto and cabbage palm thickets. Panthers also live on wetlands like cypress forests, thicket swamps, and fresh water marshes. Male panthers need approximately 200 sq. miles of territorial grounds. The females need 70 – 75 sq. miles of territory.
A century or two ago, panthers ranged as far west as Arkansas and as far north as Tennessee. Hunters and bulldozers have driven the remaining cats onto 2.5 million acres in Southwest Florida, an area representing 5 percent of their historic range. All but a handful of male cats live south of the Caloosahatchee River. Q: What kinds of habitat do panthers like? A: They prefer to live in a mosaic of piney woods, cypress swamps and upland forests. Panthers, though, will hunt prey and disperse on lower-quality lands, such as cow pastures, marshes and crop fields. Q: How many panthers are there? A: In the mid-1990s, experts believed the population hovered around 20 to 30 cats. A breeding program with female Texas cougars tripled their ranks. The current population is 80-100 cats, but new estimates suggest it may be above 100. Q: Are there black panthers? A: No, their coats are tawny or tan. Q: What’s killing Florida panthers? A: Data from radio-collared panthers provide the least biased samp
