Hello -
First off, I would like to say that I'm sorry for not updating in so long. I will try to update more frequently in the future, and again - I'm sorry.
It has currently come to my attention (through care2.com) that efforts are being made to safe the Florida Panthers (as well as many other animals.) I thought that I would let you know some facts about Florida Panthers as well as some ways to help save their species.
The Florida Panther is Florida's state animal (unsurprisingly) and it is a member of the Puma concolor family. (The Puma family has roughly 30 subspecies, which include cougars, mountain lions, and panthers.) They are currently listed as a critically endangered species, as there are only about 80 to 100 of them left. (I'm not exactly sure how many are left. One source said 80-100, one said less than 100, and another said 30-50.)
Male Florida Panthers are roughly 23 to 27 inches tall at the shoulders, while females are generally smaller. The males also weigh around 130 pounds and are about 7 feet long, while the females are considerably smaller at around 70 to 75 pounds and are about 6 feet long. These lovely creatures live to be around 10 to 15 years old and their scientific name is Puma concolor coryi.
Florida Panthers generally give birth to 1 to 4 kittens per litter, and these kittens often do not survive. The main threat to the Florida Panther's survival is the lack of habitat for them, though. As humans develop the land where these animals previously lived, this leaves a much smaller area for them to roam. (According to one website, "a population of 240 panthers would require 8,000 to 12,000 square miles of habitat and sufficient genetic diversity in order to avoid inbreeding as a result of small population size.) Since Florida is so widely developed, it has been hard to find a piece of land that is big enough to support a groth of population for this species. Some more natural reasons for their endangerment are diseases, territorial disputes, and inbreeding. (According to one source, the Florida Panther has successfully bred with some cougars from Texas that were introduced, which has helped slightly with the inbreeding problem.) Florida Panthers also have run ins with automobiles that result in death.
To hear some of the noises that Florida Panthers make, go to this website. http://myfwc.com/panther/handbook/natural/vocal.html
On the left side of the page, there is a green box labled "Sounds." You'll need realplayer to be able to listen to them, but if you do have realplayer, I suggest that you do!
Some ways to help:
1. You can "adopt" a Florida Panther! Go to the following webiste to learn about how to adopt a Florida Panther and how adopting them WILL help them
https://secure.defenders.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=wagc_panther&s_src=WKY09WDADOPT&s_subsrc=WKY09WDADOPT_factsheet&JServSessionIdr010=wc21w7tq11.app20a
2. You can also "adopt" Florida Panthers through Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo. (In Tampa, Florida.) You can also go see Florida Panthers up close and personal at the Lowry Park Zoo.
http://www.lowryparkzoo.com/adopt_an_animal.php
3. You can sign the following petition asking Florida's governor to designate a specific habitat for the Florida Panthers.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/478858019
4. You can send a letter to Ken Salazar asking him to designate specific land habitats for the Florida Panther. http://action.sierraclub.org/panther
These are just a few ways that you can help this beautiful species.
Thank you for reading and again, I'm so sorry for not updating sooner.
Emma
