Florida Panther Essay

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Acc. Bio The Florida Panther The Florida Panther is currently and endangered species that is threatening to become extinct. The Florida Panther (Puma concolor coryi) is found in the United States. It is specifically found in the state of Florida. It is now only found in the Southwestern part of Florida, including the Everglades and the Big Cypress Swamp. The typical habitats of these panthers are in forests and swamps, though panthers are able to adapt to many different types of habitats. The Florida Panther is very important to its habitat. The main roll of the panthers is to control the population of other animals with its hunting habits. They prevent animals (such as deer) from overpopulating the area, which can throw off other parts of the eco-system. They mostly eat medium mammals, such as deer and wild hogs. They will also eat small mammals like rabbits, birds, mice, and even small alligators. Occasionally, panthers will eat fruits and grass, but they are typically carnivores. They are also known to eat farm animals if they have to. Sometimes they will eat cattle straight from farmland. Fortunately, the Florida Panther is at the top of the food chain with very few natural predators. Their only real predators are adult alligators, which have been known to sometimes ambush the Florida Panther, and human beings. Humans are one of the main reasons that the Florida Panther is an endangered species. They were heavily hunted in the mid-1950s, which took a big toll on the population. They have always been hunted for one reason or another by humans though. The panthers were hunted for several reasons. Since panthers sometimes eat livestock off of farms, farmers would set up traps, poisons, or even just shoot them in order to prevent them from eating their livestock. They were also hunted for recreational reasons. Other people hunt Florida Panthers for their

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