Florida Panther
(Adopted 1982)

Many prefer to call this the Cougar or Puma. It is large and long, with a yellowish tawney or grayish coat. Its long tail is tipped with dark brown, as are the backs of the ears and sides of the face. While the young are spotted all over, the adults are unspotted. The Cougar survives mostly in forests semi-arid areas, and mountains of the West. The only Cougars known east of the Mississippi live in southern Florida, a few individuals, known as the endangered "Florida Panther". The Cougar feeds mainly on deer, but it also hunts hares, rodents, Coyotes, Raccoons, and occasionally domestic animals. Chiefly nocturnal, it hunts by stalking its prey on the ground and by ambushing from trees. Males can weigh up to 200 pounds.