Follow the Florida Panther
on a Wildlife and Water Scavenger Hunt!!!
Florida Panther Kittens
Florida Panther
Natural History
Panther kittens have beautiful blue eyes for about 6
months. They will slowly turn amber as they become an
adult.
Their spotted coat, which helps them to camouflage as
babies, will fade to a tan color as the kitten grows up.
When panther kittens are first born they stay in the den
all the time, even when mom is out looking for food. At two
months of age, they follow their mom on hunting trips. By
the time they are 12 months old, they can catch their own
prey.
When panther kittens are about 1 ½ years old, their
mother will leave them at a kill and will not return. The
kittens need to find a territory and begin their own family.
Scientific Name: Puma concolor coryi
Endangered: 80-100 left in the world
Coloration: 2/3 Tan
NO such thing as a Black Panther!!!
Posse Camera
Wildlife That Lives With the Florida
Panther
P = Panther Prey: an animal hunted by the Florida
Panther for food.
N = Native Species: a species that has always lived in
Florida.
E = Exotic Species: a species not from Florida that was
brought by accident or introduced.
P
Florida
Black Bear
White-tailed
Deer
American
Alligator
Female
Weight: 130-160lbs
Length: 6-8ft
Weight: 70-100lbs
Length: 5-7ft
Threats to Florida
Panthers
1. Habitat Loss
2. Territorial Needs
3. Car Collisions
4. Diseases
Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed
By: Golden Gate High School Art Student G. Petite-Homme
Umbrella Species
“When you protect and conserve water,
you also protect wildlife, habitats,
the environment and the human community.”
E
x
Everyone can do their part!
x x
•Turn off the faucet when you brush your teeth,
you save 5 gallons!
•Take Shorter Showers, you save 15 gallons!
FOOD CHAIN
•Don’t flush trash down the toilet,
The ways in which the organisms in an ecosystem
you save 5 gallons!
interact with one another according to what they eat.
When you protect the Florida Panther,
you protect its habitat and all the
wildlife that live there!
x
Bobcat
Wild Hog
N
Male
x
x x
x
FWC
A 60,000 acre watershed in Lee and Collier counties. It is the largest undisturbed watershed
in Southwest Florida. Many species call CREW their home including: Florida Panther, black
bear, bobcat, river otters, alligators, raccoons, opossums, squirrels, white-tailed deer, turkey,
and many more native mammals, birds, snakes, fish, plants, and invertebrates.
Watershed: the land and water areas where water drains into, moves over and moves
through.
Wetlands: a lowland area, such as a marsh or swamp, that is flooded or full of water for
most of the year and supports a wide variety of plants and animal life. The Everglades is
one of the largest wetlands protected in Florida.
Wetlands are important because:
•They are a home to many plants and animals.
•They fill up our aquifers.
•Vegetation filters out pollution and improves water quality.
•They protect upland areas from flooding.
•They slow down water runoff, protect shorelines and banks from erosion.
“Partners of Hope”
Example: Panther eats--white-tailed deer who eats--plants.
Producer: an organism that makes its own food.
Example: Oak Tree
Consumer: an organism in a community that must eat
other organisms in order to get the energy it needs.
Example: Florida Panther
Decomposer: an organism that breaks down wastes and
remains of other organisms.
Example: Bacteria
Go Green!
The Three R’s
1. Use recycled paper
1. Reduce
2. Turn off the lights
2. Reuse
3. Take reusable canvas 3. Recycle
bags when shopping
“Building bridges of hope for wildlife, water
conservation and the environment with education
and awareness for college and elementary students
and their families.”
“Grant of Hope” by
South Florida Water Management District
www.sfwmd.gov
CREW Land & Water Trust
www.crewtrust.org
Collier County Audubon Society (CCAS)
www.collieraudubon.org
CCAS
Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
Panther Team/Panther Biologist Mark Lotz
www.myfwc.com/panther
Florida Wildlife Federation
SW Florida Field Representative, Nancy Payton
www.fwfonline.org
Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge
Manager, Layne Hamilton
www.fws.gov
Woodward, Pires, & Lombardo Law Firm
Florida Gulf Coast University
www.fgcu.edu