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Handbook
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Handbook
Habitat Use
We've taken a quick look at five different natural communities in the panther's range. Think about whether panthers might use each of these communities. What might each of these communities provide? Remember panthers need:
Food
To survive and reproduce, panthers must be able to get enough food. Females need to establish a range in an area with shelter for the kittens and abundant food. A female panther with two nursing kittens requires 5500 calories each day (Maehr 1997), an amount unlikely to be met when only small animals such as raccoons and armadillos are available. You might review the panther's diet for suitable prey.
Cover
Kittens in den in a palmetto thicket
Does the area have good places to hide in vegetation to stalk prey, for females to shelter kittens, and for denning and resting? You might review the female panther's needs for dens in mating and reproduction.
Dry Land
Is the ground relatively dry for good denning and resting spots?
Feel free to review the various natural communities.
Communities used my panthers
Hardwood Hammocks
Hardwood Hammocks are a favorite community.
Studies by Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission biologists of the location during the day of radio-collared panthers found that hardwood hammocks were preferred over every other natural community (Maehr, Land, and Roof, 1991). Why? Hardwood hammocks are relatively dry, have dense vegetation, and contain thickets of saw palmetto, the favorite resting and denning spot of the panther. They are shady and cool and approaching animals can easily be heard. Abundant large prey is also available within the hammock itself or in bordering swamps, marshes, or pinelands.
Cypress Swamps
Panthers sometimes rest in cypress swamps when the ground is dry. They also travel through cypress swamps and hunt in swamps, although deer are generally not as abundant here as in other natural communities. Cover is also sparser than in some other natural forested communities.
Hardwood Swamps
Although deer densities are generally low in hardwood swamps in southwest Florida, cover is thick and abundant. There are enough deer and also raccoons to support single panthers but not enough to support a healthy reproducing population (McCown, personal communication).
Prairies
Panthers may travel across prairies especially at night and they may hunt on the edges of prairies bordering forests. Prairies converted to improved range for cattle are often excellent deer habitat. But, prairies don't have the cover panthers need for resting, raising kittens, or stalking prey.
Pinelands
Studies by Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission biologists of the location during the day of radio-collared panthers found that pinelands were preferred over every other natural community except hardwood hammocks (Maehr, Land, and Roof, 1991). Pinelands are usually dry and contain thickets of saw palmetto, the favorite resting and denning spot of the panther. Wild hogs feed on palmetto berries and deer forage on the edge of pinelands.
Freshwater Marshes
Panthers will on occasion travel across marshes and into them to hunt deer or hogs, but marshes don't provide the cover they need. They are also too wet for resting or raising kittens.