The Florida panther is a medium-size cat with dark, tawny coat, flattened forehead, and prominent nose. Its face is dark, but upper lips, chin, and throat are white. Adult males wheigh from 100 to 130 pounds and are as much as 7 feet long from nose to tip of the tail; females weigh 60 to 80 pounds and measure about 6 feet from tip to tip. Identifying characteristics of the Florida panther are a distinctive crook at the very end of the tail, a whorl or cowlick in the middle of the back, and an irregular white flecking across the head, neck and shoulders.

The Florida panther stalks its prey, then pounces and grabs at the throat or back. Often the panther will hide the uneaten portion of its catch, covering it with brush and leaves, and return to it till the meat is no longer good. Its principal prey are the white tailed deer and armadillos, but it will take other prey, such as wild hogs, raccoons, other small animals and birds. It sometimes also eats grass.

Panthers begin to breed at about three years of age. From December through February, the females initiate courship and males fight for first breeding privileges. Gestation is about 90 days and up to six kittens may be born. Youn panthers stay close to their motherfor about two years.

The Florida panther generally needs subtropical, dense forests composed mainly of trees, shrubs, and vines in low-lying, swampy areas. It has also been found at times in pine forests. To thrive it requires larges areas-as much as 116 sq. miles for typical male territory-free of human disturbance.

At present the Florida panther is found only south of Lake Okeechobee in four areas: the FAkahatchee Stran; Big Cypress National Preserve; the southern portion of the Everglades National Park, from the Hole-in-the Donut area norhtward. Only 30 to 50 Florida panthers are believed to exist in the wild.