Males can weight up to 130 pounds and females are usually smaller and average about 70 pounds. Panthers generally occupy upper dry-land areas of the hardwood hammock, pine flatwoods, saw palmetto and cabbage palm thickets.They like to inhabit cypress swamps, pine, hardwood and hammock forests. Panthers prefer a secluded environment away from people, and are rarely seen in agricultural areas and citrus groves. Most active at dusk and dawn, a panther can travel up to 20 miles a day, often moving in a zig-zag pattern. They tend to hunt during the cooler hours of the day and rest in the hot afternoon hours.The big cats main source of food is the white-tailed deer, sometimes wild hog, rabbit, raccoon, armadillo and birds.

Some of the efforts to help the panther are reduced speeding zones, construction of panther underpasses (walkways under roads at known crossings), public education and captive breeding program and tracking research.
Most cats reach sexual maturity at about 3 years. Mating season is December through February. Gestation lasts about 90 days, and females bear 2-6 kittens.Young stay with mother for about 2 years. Females do not mate again until their young have left.

Panleukopenia (feline distemper) - highly contagious, has the potential to be extremely dangerous for the entire panther population. Signs have shown up in 85% of those tested. They are also susceptible to Feline Leukemia and FIV, the feline AIDS virus.

Calcivirus - a respiratory disorder that has shown up in 50% of all those tested.

•Congenital Heart Defect - a hole in the heart which is a result of inbreedin

• Parasites - seven species of ticks which in large numbers can cause anemia. Tapeworm, hookworm, ringworm and intestinal flukes.

Due to the low population numbers, the cats are inbreeding, which is also detrimental to the species. Adverse effects such as abnormal semen and single-testicle abnormality found in males and a congenital heart disease, as well as a decrease in overall fitness makes them more prone to disease.