Florida Panther

The Florida panther is a big, long-tailed cat. Males are about 7 feet long and weigh 102-154 pounds. Females are about 6 feet long and weigh 50-108 pounds. Panthers are usually a pale brown rusty color and the tail tip, back of ears, and sides of nose are dark brown or blackish.

Panthers are carnivores and usually eat white-tailed deer, wild hogs, and sometimes raccoons. They hunt for these animals in their habitats, hardwood hammocks, low pinelands, and palm forests in the Everglades.

The Florida Panther is nearly extinct. There are only around 30-50 individuals left. The water problems are really affecting them. They are disappearing because of the mercury in their prey. When a fish swims in mercury infested water it gets a little bit of mercury in it. Then a bigger fish eats it and it gets more mercury. Then a deer eats the fish and it gets even more mercury. When the panther eats the deer the mercury is fatal to him/her.