Which puma subspecies is endangered in the United States?

The Florida panther is the endangered puma subspecies in the United States. It is a population of cougar, or puma, found mainly in southern Florida and recognized for its distinctive conservation history.

Florida panthers once ranged across much of the southeastern United States, but hunting, habitat loss, and fragmentation reduced them to a small population in southern Florida. By the 1970s and 1980s, their numbers and genetic health had become serious concerns. In the 1990s, wildlife managers introduced eight female pumas from Texas to increase genetic diversity and reduce inbreeding.

The name can cause confusion: a Florida panther is not a separate big-cat species from the cougar. “Panther” is a regional name, and these animals are pumas. They are also not black panthers; Florida panthers normally have tawny coats, with darker markings sometimes appearing at the tip of the tail.

The population has improved from its historic low, but the panther remains federally endangered. Vehicle collisions, shrinking habitat, disease, and loss of connected territory continue to threaten its recovery.