How does a Florida panther hunt?
The Florida panther is an ambush predator. This means once the Florida panther locates prey nearby, he or she will remain hidden and quiet while slowly stalking and gaining ground on the prey animal. This method of hunting is related to cats’ small heart size in relation to body size. A small heart means cats are sprinters and not marathoners. Once the Florida panther is within pouncing distance, the panther will leap out of hiding and pounce on the prey. These cats kill their prey by severing the spinal cord (from a bite to the back of the neck), by suffocation (from a bite to the throat), or a bite to the skull (used on smaller animals). The panther uses its rough tongue to remove fur or feathers from the prey animal. Q. Do Florida panthers kill humans? No human has ever even been attacked by a Florida panther. Humans do not fit the appearance of prey that a panther looks for. Florida panthers tend to have a natural fear of people and do not show themselves. Q. Are Florida panthers a
