Sometimes, people claim to have seen black cougars and refer to them as Florida Panthers.
However, I don’t think these black cougars are in the Panthera family, thereby misrepresenting Black Panther as a name.
Do Black Panthers Exist in Florida?
The Florida Panthers are tan in color and a subspecies of the mountain lion.
Florida Panthers
are large cats with their bodies covered with tawny-beige fur except their whitish-gray belly and chest.
The tip of their tail, their ears, and around the snout are decorated with beautiful black marks.
Do black panthers exist in Florida?
Yes, Florida panthers are an endangered species that live in the state and are less than 100.
The length of Florida panthers is between six to seven feet.
The males are bigger than the females.
Do Black Panthers Exist in Florida?
By looking at their tails, you will differentiate between a Florida panther from other subspecies of mountain lions.
The tails of Florida panthers are usually crooked, and they usually have a peculiar patch of fur on their backs.
The fur on the panther’s back is like a cowlick.
It does not conform to the rest of the furs on the body.
However, these are not their major differences because kinked tails can come from inbreeding and poor genetic variation.
Because of their low population in the past, which created room for multiple generations of inbreeding Florida, panthers have always been victims of kinked tails.
As their population grows, the prevalence of kinked tails and cowlicks continues to decrease.
The history of
Florida panthers cuts across
Florida to Louisiana, the Gulf Coast states, and Arkansas.
Presently
Florida panthers can only be found in the southwestern tip of Florida
.
They like to live in different habitats in warm climate regions.
They love to live in wetlands, swamps, upland forests, and stands of saw palmetto.
Panther Diet
Florida panthers feed on flesh.
They are naturally endured with the skill to hunt white-tailed deer, feral hogs, raccoons, and other medium-sized mammals and reptiles.
They also hunt birds.
History
Florida panthers move within a territory and they move alone.
They are seen in pairs only when they are mating or a female is nursing her young one.
They define their territories with physical signs like claw markings or feces.
The males roam within bigger territories than the females.
A male’s territory can be between 200 to 250 square miles or more.
Florida panthers mate between November and March, and the male that searches for a female mate.
The gestation period of its female is about three months, and it gives birth to between one and their litters, but not all of them will survive to adulthood.
The kittens used to have dark spots when they are born.
These spots serve as camouflage for them in the forest because they stand the risk of being attacked by predators, mostly immediately after birth, as they are born blind.
The mother panther nurses the kittens for about a year before they go out to form their territories.
For about 12 years, the
Florida panthers have lived in the wild
, however, because of their small population, they face the risk of diseases, genetic disorders, and vehicle accidents.
Are there any black panthers left in Florida?
Yes, It is estimated that there are around 120 to 230 adult panthers in Florida.
The growth in human population and development poses big threats to Florida panthers and their habitats.
They are always involved in accidents with vehicles.
How you can protect black panthers
Slow your speed anytime you are driving within the habitats of Florida panthers.
Always be on alert.
Expect them between dusk and dawn, that is their most active period.
Contribute to protecting them and their habitats by observing panther crossing signs and all traffic laws.
Conservation
The Florida panther is the only subspecies of mountain lion presently remaining in eastern America.
Hunters killed many of them, and it is among the first species that were added to the list of U.
S.
endangered species list in 1973.
Today they are listed as endangered species.
Their population in the wild in the 1970s was about 20 or 30.
Presently they are about 200.
You can see them in
southern Florida
, around swamplands like Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve.
At a point, the Florida panthers were so endangered that they faced the risk of every major threat.
Low genetic diversity became a concern because of its small population.
They lost their habitats to construction works, and those who want to cross roads faced the dangers of vehicle traffic.
Mercury pollution and diseases like feline leukemia are other kinds of threats the Florida panthers faced.
They were not reintroduced to new places because people had the wrong notion about them and were afraid of them.
Where can I see black panthers in Florida?
In the
Florida peninsula
, south of Orlando.
To be precise, you will find Florida panthers in the
Florida peninsula
, south of Orlando.
It is only in South Florida the cat has been documented, and it is its only known breeding location.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in
Georgia
have documented the male gender in the far north.
They like to live in a dense understory of vegetation, which they find convenient for prey hunting, resting, and raising their young ones.
They love forested areas, pinelands, tropical hardwood hammocks, and mixed freshwater swamp forests
Seeing a Florida panther is memorable.
You can see them at any of these state parks:
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park is the western gateway to the Everglades.
You can see fresh tracks panthers went through or watch them from a distance.
This park is a perfect habit for Florida panthers because of its swamps, towering royal palms, and bromeliad-covered trees, and is about 77,000 acres in size.
As you ride on the train down to Janes Scenic Drive, be on the lookout for panthers.
You will find Collier-Seminole State Park on the southern side of
Naples
.
The park has beautiful royal palms and is good for canoeing on the Blackwater River.
If you are attentive, you will see Florida Panthers, mostly in the morning or late in the evening.
There is a picture of the cat running near the boat basin at the park.
The Ellie Schiller
Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is home to two Florida
panthers.
They are their species’ representatives in the park, just like the other native wildlife living in the park.
They could not survive in the wild on their own, so they allow visitors to learn more about them.