Current Panther Distribution, Population Trends, and Habitat Use Report of Field Work: Fall 2000-Winter 2001
McBride R. 2001. Current Panther Distribution, Population Trends, and Habitat Use Report of Field Work: Fall 2000-Winter 2001. Alpine, TX
During the past 21 years, 116 radio-collared panthers have been monitored in South Florida and over 100 kittens have been marked at the den. As panther research enters its third decade, valuable information is being gathered about distribution, habitat use, and the affects of genetic introgression. Theories about panther health, fecundity, and habitat requirements offered in early published reports were based on much smaller sample sizes than are cmTently available and did not have the benefit of information gained from genetic restoration, recent reproductive trends and habitat use patterns. A significant expansion of the panther population has followed the introduction of eight female panthers from Texas into the South Florida gene pool. Intercrossed panthers are robust and reproductively healthy, occupying large areas of habitat described in published reports as unsuitable for panthers. The success of genetic introgression is providing a new benchmark by which to evaluate the restricted distribution and low reproductive fitness observed in Florida panthers prior to 1995.