Facts about the Florida Panther

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The "Florida panther" subspecies

Some Facts About the Florida Panther

Visitor Comments:

Why Is the Florida Panther called a "panther?"

It would really be nice if you wouldn't call the 'Florida Panther' a panther. It is not a panther. It is of the cougar family. The panther is of the panthera family.

-Rick

Response:

Sorry if you find it confusing. You are correct about the ancestry of the Florida panther. Closest relation is a Texas puma. However, the Florida panther still is a distinct subspecies and is named accordingly.

The Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) is one of more than 20 subspecies of cougar (Puma concolor). Until 1993, the cougar was classified in the genus Felis along with the domestic cat, the ocelot, and 27 other species. In 1993 the cougar was reassigned to the genus Puma (Wilson and Reeder 1993).

For more information on these names, please contact U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. It is these agencies that are responsible for all nomenclature.

http://www.fws.gov/
http://floridaconservation.org/
http://www.panther.state.fl.us/

The original range of the Florida panther was from Texas to the tip of Florida. These animals are now known as the "Florida panther," because they are primarily found on 3 million acres of land in southwest Florida. They are still considered an endangered species since, at one point, their numbers had been reduced to an estimated 30-50 adults.

It appears these animals are now recovering. Over 100 are now known to exist in Florida, and people have reported sightings in other states, including Louisiana.

Where can I find a "black panther?"

"Black panthers" can occur in almost every genus of cats. Most commonly they occur in certain subspecies of south eastern Asian Leopards, particularly the Javan and Sri-Lankan races. Furthermore, black Leopards are in fact very rare in African subspecies. The Jaguar also can produce a black sport; again nature has selected this to occur in heavily forested areas, particularly in the Guianas and the Yucatan.

The Puma can also produce a black sport; there are historical accounts of this ocurring in the two most endangered sub-species: the Eastern & Florida races.