Review and Informational Assistance
Walt McCown, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Jayde Roof, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Darrell Land, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Dennis Jordan, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (retired)
Sharon Taylor, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Chris Belden, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Jon Blanchard, Florida Natural Areas Inventory
Andy Eller, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Pete Gallagher, Seminole Tribe of Florida
Brad Gruver, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Roy King, Synergy Educational Services
Dave LaHart, Florida State University
Tom Logan, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Sidney Maddock, Biodiversity Legal Foundation
Steve Williams, Florida Panther Society
Deborah Jansen, National Park Service
Michael Dunbar, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Mark Cunningham, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Photo and Graphic Credits

This site uses copyrighted electronic art in many locations which is used under license to Dr. David Coursey or the Askew School Web Development Group for site development. Also, many organizations and people have allowed us to use their materials listed and credited below as well. These images and items are for viewing and personal printing as part of this web page and may not be reused in any other form.

Other Sources:

Home page
   Banner— Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Handbook
   Key Marco Cat—Smithsonian Institution
Natural History
   Introduction— Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
   Physical description
     Skull— Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission
     Tail crook— Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission
   What's in a name?
   James Billie and his son Micco—Pete Gallagher
     Are there black panthers?
       Melanistic bobcat—Steve Laing
     Cat and goose—Betsy Purdum
   Behavior
     Male panther–9 months—Jayde Roof
     Woman with tracking antenna— Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission
     Tracker and dogs— Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission
   Panther Sign
     Tracks— Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission
     Scat—Darrell Land
     Scrape—Darrell Land
     Scratch—Jayde Roof
   Vocalizations
     Picture— Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission
     Purrs and hisses—Betsy Purdum
     Caterwauling—Ken Alverez
   Real ranges
     Female 11—Walt McCown
     Female 19—Walt McCown
   Diet
     Deer— Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
   Food Habits
     Pie chart—Darrell Land
     Hog—Dave LaHart
     Raccoon—Dave LaHart
     Rabbit—Dave LaHart
     Deer—Melissa Foster
     Armadillo—Darrell Land
   Hunting
     Cougar—Larry Richardson
     Slain hog—Jayde Roof
     Deer cache—Jayde Roof
   Mating and Reproduction
     Kitten in hand—Dave Maehr
   Male 7, female 9, captured 1/26/85 in Fakahatchee Strand—Walt McCown
   Rearing of young
     Mother and kitten—Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission
     Two kittens—Darrell Land
   Life expectancy and mortality
     Dead uncollared female killed by vehicle 11/15/86—Walt McCown
     Animals using underpass—Melissa Foster
   Causes of mortality, pie chart—Darrell Land

Habitat
   Current range
     Ghost orchid—Larry Richardson
     Map—US Bureau of the census
   Climate
     Rainfall—Earth Info (1966) National Climate Data Center, Boulder, Colorado
   Soils
   Map modified from 1996 Atlas of Florida, Edward A. Fernald and Elizabeth D. Purdum, eds. Gainesville: University Press of Florida.
   Water
     Cypress trees—Roger Vanderhoof
     Canal—Larry Richardson
     Fawn—Jayde Roof
   Natural communities
   Map modified from Davis, J. H. 1967. General Map of Natural Vegetation of Florida. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Circular S-178. University of Florida. Gainesville
     Natural community profiles—South Florida Water Management District
     Pinelands—Darrel Land
     Cypress Swamp—South Florida Water Management District
   Hardwood Swamp—Left, Dave LaHart; right, South Florida Water Management District
     Prairie—South Florida Water Management District
     Freshwater Marsh—South Florida Water Management District
   Habitat Use
     Kittens in den—Darrell Land
   Habitat Review
     Natural communities
   Map modified from Davis, J. H. 1967. General Map of Natural Vegetation of Florida. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Circular S-178. University of Florida. Gainesville
     Location of radio-collared panthers—Darrell Land
     Bear Island—Walt McCown
   Fakahatchee Strand—Larry Richardson
   Private Land, panther survival—Darrell Land
   Animals and plants in the panther's habitat
     Audubon's crested caracara—Larry Richardson
     Black buzzard—Larry Richardson
     Burrowing owl—Jim Cox
     Great crested fly catcher—Jim Cox
     Red-cockaded woodpecker—Darrell Land
     Red-shouldered Hawk—Larry Richardson
     Sandhill crane—Dean Jue
     Snail kite—Jim Cox
     Turkey vulture—Dave LaHart
     White ibis—Larry Richardson
     Wood stork—Larry Richardson
     Yellow-crowned night heron—Larry Richardson
     Big Cypress fox squirrel—University of Florida, IFAS Educational Media and Service
     Black bear—Larry Richardson
     Bobcat—Larry Richardson
     Marsh rabbit—Dave LaHart
     Armadillo—Darrell Land
     Raccoon—Dave LaHart
     Striped skunk—Larry Richardson
     White-tailed deer—Roger Vanderhoof
     Wild hog—Dave LaHart
     American alligator—Roger Vanderhoof
     Eastern diamondback rattlesnake—Roger Vanderhoof
     Gopher tortoise—Roger Vanderhoof
     Green anole—Paula Seamon
     Florida tree snail—Larry Richardson
     Cabbage palm—Dave LaHart
     Cypress—Larry Richardson
     Gumbo limbo—Dean Jue
     Orchids—Larry Richardson
     Poisonwood—Paula Seamon
     Southern slash pint—Larry Richardson

Strangler fig—Dean Jue

Conservation
1500 Timucuan Indians engraving—Jacques Le Moyne de Marques who accompanied René de Laudonnière to Florida in 1564
   Panther resting—painting by Ernest C. Simmons
1539 Hernando de Soto encampment—State of Florida photo archives
1800–1890 Panther hunter— Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
1896 John Davis with dead panther—Cory, Charles Barney 1896
1923 Model T crossing Tamiami Trail—State of Florida photo archives
mid 1920s Majorie Carr—State of Florida photo archives
1937 Hunters with deer—State of Florida photo archives
1930s–40s Logging train—State of Florida photo archives
1942 Steve Hunter with panther he killed in front of ice house in Immokalee—Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission
1947–50 White-tailed deer—Roger Vanderhoof
1954 Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary—South Florida Water Management District
1973 Fisheating Creek—South Florida Water Management District
1974 Big Cypress—South Florida Water Management District
   Dogs treeing panther in Fakahatchee Strand—Walt McCown
1981 Male 10, 9 months old—Jayde Roof
1984 Panther Crossing sign—Paula Seamon
1988–89 "More info" first reintroduction study maps—Belden, Hagedorn, and Frankenberger 1990
1989 Controlled burn, Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge—Larry Richardson
1991 Veterinarian Melody Roelke and panther kitten—Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission
1992 Panther kitten—Darrell Land
1993–1995 Reintroduction press—Walt McCown
   "more info" "Early press—Walt McCown
   Capture of T-40—Chris Belden
1995 Texas cougar—Chris Belden
1996 Texas cougar and kittens—Sharon Taylor

Threats
Habitat loss
   Dave Maehr— Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
   Development photos—South Florida Water Management District
Do panthers and oranges mix
   Citrus—South Florida Water Management District
Habitat fragmentation
   Linear Forest—Darrell Land
   Circular Forest—Darrell Land
   Male 24—Jayde Roof
   Is the panther a wilderness species—Larry Richardson
Habitat Degradation
   Melaleuca—South Florida Water Management District
Inbreeding
   Cat—Larry Richardson
   Sperm—Barone et al. 1994
How inbreeding affects a population
   Tail crook— Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
   West Highland white terrier—Betsy Purdum
   Atrial septal defect—Mark Cunningham
Insufficient large prey
   Do hunters and panthers mix?
     Hunters—William Greer
Probable path of mercury to Florida panther—Kristine Hernandez
Institutional constraints
   California condor—U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
   Black footed ferret—U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
   Northern spotted owl—U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Mystery of the Circling Vultures
Opening scene—Lou Cross
Other artwork—Kristine Hernandez
Clues
   Bear—Larry Richardson
   Bear scat— Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
   Panther scat—Darrell Land
   Wild hogs—Dave LaHart
   Turkey vulture—Dave LaHart

Mystery of the Cloned Panther
Opening scene—Lou Cross
Other artwork—Kristine Hernandez
Wildlife Biologist Andy—Jayde Roof
Clues
   Dwarf cypress forest—South Florida Water Management District
   Boot print—Betsy Purdum
   Slash pine—Darrell Land
   Palmetto—Larry Richardson
   Sabel palm—Dave LaHart
   Day bed—Darrell Land
   Panther kittens—Darrell Land
   Turkey—Roger Vanderhoof
   Big cypress fox squirrel—University of Florida, IFAS Educational Media and Services

Who Am I?
   Animal Drawings—Wilderness Graphics