 One way panthers communicate with each other and help maintain their territories is with scrapes. Scrapes are piles of soil, leaves, or pine needles with urine or feces on top. The panther makes a scrape by flicking its hind legs backward, leaving two parallel streaks on the ground surface. Scrapes are between 10 and 20 cm long and within them you can often see the grooves left by the claws. From the scent other panthers can tell the sex of the animal that left the mark and approximately how long ago it was left. Often a passing panther will add its scent to the mark. Most scrapes are left by resident males and in effect say, "This is my territory, and I'm around so stay away." Females with kittens may avoid leaving their scent by covering rather than displaying their feces. They do not mate while they are raising their young, and generally avoid other adults. When they are sexually receptive, females may advertise their availability through scent.  Scat  Panther Sign: Scratches | ||