Florida Panther
by Makena Lester
http://highlandstoday.com/hi/local-news/more-panther-habitat-in-highlands-a-possibility-500906
What
is the Florida Panther?
The
Florida Panther, or Puma concolor coryi, are predators that usually live to be
between ten to fifteen years, weigh between 70-130 pounds, and are about 23-27
inches tall at the shoulder. Florida Panthers are light brown or tan on top and
pale grey underneath. Panthers are extremely mobile and can maintain a range of
two hundreds square miles hunting mainly white-tailed deer, feral hogs,
rabbits, raccoons, armadillo, birds and other animals (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Recovery Plan). Panthers are most active
at dusk and dawn and rest during the heat of the day (1).
 |
| http://intra.burltwpsch.org/users/mfilbert/studentwork06-07/goslin/g12/Index.htm |
Where
is the Florida Panther found?
The
only known living and breeding population is estimated at about 100-180 adults
or subadults in south Florida. Historically they were found all across the
southeastern United States. One male has been documented as wandering into
southern Georgia, but there is no sustaining population other than southern
Florida at the moment. They can live in a variety of different habitats
including forests, prairies, and swamps. Their dens are usually located in
areas of dense vegetation (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Recovery Plan). Panthers are very mobile and occur in very low
densities. Where pumas spend most of their time and where they usually live,
called the primary zone, is composed of 45% forest, 41% freshwater marsh, 7.6%
agriculture lands, 2.6% prairie and shrub lands, and .52% urban lands. This
habitat selection is highly related to prey availability (2).
 |
| http://www.mountainlion.org/us/fl/-fl-portal.asp |
Why
did these panthers start disappearing?
In
1967 the U.S. Department of the Interior listed Florida Panthers as an
endangered species and when congress passed the Endangered Species Act in 1973
they were listed as endangered. Numerous factors influence panther home range
size including habitat quality, prey density, and landscape configuration. As
humans took over the United States as their habitat, pumas were exterminated in
the western part of the country. Panther habitats were becoming fragmented and
eventually the Florida panther population was isolated from other panther
populations. The biggest threats
or most influential factors for the panthers being listed as an endangered
species are habitat loss and human contact (vehicular collisions) due mainly to
human develop where these panthers once called home (3).
http://gpfl.org/big-oil-moves-against-florida-panther-habitat/
How
are we fixing this problem?
According to the Florida Panther Recovery plan, third revision, put in place in 2008, there
was a trial-reintroduction in 1988 where they captured seven pumas in Texas and
placed them in northern Florida to track and see how viable it would be to
reintroduce the Florida panther. These pumas were tracked and were able to sustain
their lifestyle, establish territories, and reproduce. This started the
movement for reintroduction of the Florida panther into northern Florida, which
was managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. To reduce vehicular collisions with these panthers, the
recovery plan suggests that Florida should identify and prioritize locations
that need crossing and fencing to prevent the panthers from wandering onto
streets where they could be hit and killed by a car (2). They also need to work
with local communities to ensure that future roads or projects are built to
support panther safety. Now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is focused on
conserving possible viable habitats for the Florida Panther for more
reintroductions in Florida to increase genetic variation, helping to fight off
possible diseases, and to increase population sizes (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Recovery Plan). However, for the panthers
to be able to sustain life in these areas the prey animal populations need to
be strong as well so they have developed and implanted management practices for
private land-owners as well as for public land so when these panthers are
reintroduced, it is successful. The recovery plan also wants to educate people
on the panther endangerment to increase the publics’ understanding of these
panthers and their behavior so when they can and do reintroduce these animals
it gives them the best chance of survival (3).Work Cited:
1. "Basic Facts About Florida Panthers." Defenders of Wildlife. 21 Mar. 2012. Web. 14 Mar. 2015. <http://www.defenders.org/florida-panther/basic-facts>.
2. "Florida Panther - National Wildlife Federation." Florida Panther - National Wildlife Federation. Web. 14 Mar. 2015. <http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/wildlife-library/mammals/florida-panther.aspx>.
3. "Frequently Asked Questions." The Florida Panther Society, Inc. Web. 14 Mar. 2015. <http://www.panthersociety.org/faq.html>.
No comments:
Post a Comment