1.An Endangered Mammal
Panthers are among the most endangered animal species on the planet. This is due to loss of natural habitation, excessive hunting, global warming and environmental pollution. In Latin America, panthers are called black jaguar, black leopards in Africa and Asia and in North America, they are also known as black cougar.

 2.Habitation
Panthers are a kind of wild cat that inhabits Africa, America and Asia. They are mostly found in savannas, rainforests, swamps, mountains and deserts. Within the U.S, panthers ranged in the southeastern states such as Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida and sections of South Carolina and Tennessee. Breeding populations in Florida are only found on the southern end of the state. In the recent past, young males have moved north into northeast and central regions of Florida and west central of Georgia, on the Alabama border. Females rarely roam widely and for decades, none has been documented outside southern Florida.

 3.Official State Animal in Florida
In Florida State, the Panther is recognized as an official state animal. Panthers once flourished and prowled the swamps and woodlands in the southeast. The arrival of European settlers in the 1600s got human activities such as building and clear cutting degrading, fragmenting and destroying their habitat. Misconceptions and fear led to the rooting of panther persecution.

 4.Physical Appearance

Panthers are cats with the biggest hind legs that enable them to leap up to 45 feet horizontally and 15 feet vertically.  They resemble leopards only that they don’t have dots. Their fur is dark brown or yellow in color and they have emerald eyes. Adult panthers attain a length of 7 to 8 feet and weigh up to 250 pounds.

 5.An Umbrella Species
Protection of a single male panther along with its vast, wild, unspoiled territory in the wild requires 200 square miles on average. This allows for protection of numerous other animals and plants that inhabit the territory. As cats that are at the peak of the food chain, panthers help in keeping the numbers of feral hogs, raccoon, deer and other prey animals well balanced and in check.

 6.Feeding
Panthers are pure carnivores that hunt and eat any meat from reptiles, birds and large animals. In North America, panthers feed on white tailed deer mostly though they also hunt for raccoons, rabbits, feral hog, birds, armadillo and other animals.

 7.Sight and Hearing Abilities
Panthers are endowed with perfect eyesight and hearing ability. They also have sharp claws and strong paws that aid them during hunting. They can roar loudly and they are the greatest tree climbers in the world of cats, a skill they learn early in life.

 8.Solitary Animals
Panthers are solitary cats that often meet during mating. They are also territorial animals and travel numerous miles within their habitat ranges. They are most active at night and rest during day time. Males have territories that average 200 square miles while female territories average 75 square miles.

 9.Communication
Panthers are generally quite through they communicate using vocalizations that are described as peeps, chirps, whistles, moans, purrs, screams, hisses and growls. Females tend to yowl or caterwaul to communicate their readiness to mate.

 10.Reproduction
Panthers made anytime of the year though mating peaks during winter or spring. They give birth to a maximum of 4 kittens after 90 days. Females nurture kittens alone. Cubs learn to hunt between 2 and 3 months of age and in their first 9 months of life, they can hunt for medium sized prey. Panthers have a lifespan of 12 years in the wild and 20 years in captivity.