Mammals

The Florida panther is the only subspecies of mountain lion that remains in the eastern United States. The Florida panther's current status is listed as endangered. Today there are only 120 to 130 Florida panthers left in the wild. They are found in southern Florida in swamplands such as Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve. Florida panthers utilize a diversity of warm climate habitat, living in wetlands, swamps, upland forests, and stands of saw palmetto. Florida panthers are carnivores adept at hunting white-tailed deer, feral hogs, raccoons, and other medium-sized mammals and reptiles. The panther presented here was photographed on a boardwalk leading to a preserve. I took the liberty of placing the panther within the confines of the preserve's habitat by graphic alteration to three of the images. They are indicated as "graphic art" to preserve the ethical requirements of nature photography. Other mammals presented are White-tailed deer, Feral (wild) Hogs, River Otters, Racoons, Marsh Rabbits, Fox & Eastern Grey Squirrel, and Bottle-nosed Dolphin. Other species of Everglades mammals will be added. (Information provided by the National Wildlife Federation)