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Handbook
Habitat
"Panther habitat is also people habitat. This is where our fresh air and clean water comes from. And it is very important to us whether the panthers continue to exist or not."
--Tom Logan, Florida Panther Conference, 1994
"...because it sits at the top of the food chain along with other large carnivores, its health is an indicator of the health of everything in the chain below it."
-- Maurice Hornocker, first scientist to study cougars in the wild
An animal's habitat is its home - the place where its basic needs for food, water, shelter or cover, and reproduction are met. The area where an animal is found is its range. The panther's range consists of nearly 1 million hectares (3,861 sq. mi.) in southwest Florida. Within the panther's range are a number of distinctive natural communities as well as areas disturbed to varying degrees by human activities. Scientists usually define the natural communities on the basis of vegetation. Most animals, including the panther, use a variety of natural communities to meet their needs. Panthers, especially young males, may travel through disturbed areas but their needs for adequate food and cover can only be met by the natural communities within their range.
In this section you will explore the panther's habitat and the natural communities within its range. You will learn about climate, soils, and water as well as about many fascinating plants and animals. What's a gumbo limbo? A crested caracara? A golden orb weaver? What bird feeds by touch rather than by sight or sound? What tree grows from the top down? You will also discover in which natural communities you are most likely to find a panther and why.