ABSTRACT
Data gathered on the distribution and abundance of Florida panthers and white tailed deer in Everglades National Park between December 1986 and October 1989 were coupled with satellite imagery to evaluate the effect of landscape and prey on the distribution of panthers. Combined home ranges of six panthers radiotagged in the park covered over 2780 km2, extending west into Big Cypress National Preserve and east into undeveloped disturbed lands. All panthers utilized upland forest (either continuous pinelands or hammocks in open prairie) more than expected by chance. Wet open landscapes and mangrove forest were used less than expected. Young and nonbreeding panthers utilized open, disturbed landscape outside the park, whereas resident breeding females occupied relatively small insular ranges centered on the Miami Rock Ridge, apparently due to the availability of deer and hunting cover at the edge of the forest. Availability of large prey appears to limit the breeding density of panthers in the eastern Everglades and, hence, determines its carrying capacity for panthers, estimated at 5-10. Despite low numbers, productivity and subsequent dispersal of panthers from Everglades National Park may contribute substantially to the size and genetic diversity of the total wild population in south Florida.
