Welcome to the first phase of Florida Panther Net, a multidisciplinary interactive website on the Florida panther and its southwest Florida environment, designed for everyone interested in learning more about the state's official animal. It includes the latest information and activities on the natural history of the Florida panther, its habitat, threats to its survival, and history and conservation efforts. The Florida panther is an umbrella species. It ranges throughout nearly 1 million hectares in southwest Florida, encompassing a number of distinct natural communities. Protection of the Florida panther protects hundreds of other species of plants and animals that share its range. Panther protection also means clean air, water, and open space for humans. The Panther Handbook contains photos, video, audio, maps, graphs, and charts as well as text. Embedded in the handbook are short interactive activities as well as research questions, thought questions, ideas for class projects, and references. The "Who Am I?" and the "Mysteries" are accompanied by separate teacher guides. Each guide includes grade level, overview, links to Sunshine State Standards, vocabulary, annotated references, and extensions. Also on the site are a cat capture slide show and a coloring activity.
Activities and Features under Development
- Data Drawer Disaster—Explore photos, maps, and notes and call experts to help sort out the late Professor Small's data on natural communities within the panther's range.
- You're the Vet—Begin with the cat capture slide show (now on the site under Coryi cinema), go to vet school, and work along side a vet in the wild and help her determine the health of a number of Florida panthers.
- Classification Challenge—What is scientific taxonomy? Find out by using clues to classify the Florida panther and other animals as well as plants within its range from kingdom to species.
- The Parts Make the Whole—Complete the puzzles and discover how the parts of a deer, a panther, an armadillo, and a raccoon work together to contribute to the animal's survival.
- Days of their Lives—Use map skills and deductive reasoning to track the movements of several Florida panthers and to learn about their daily lives.
- Can You Find a Solution? Role play various parties with an interest in the Florida panther. Work together to try to find a way to help ensure the survival of the panther. Study maps to evaluate possible sites for reintroduction of the panther. Post your solution on the website.
- Off-line activities—mystery board game, animal sign concentration. What's for Supper (food web activity)
- Forum for teachers to share their ideas about how to use Panther Net, ask an expert feature, and panther reading room for students to share stories and artwork.
This site requires certain programs and plugins in order to experience its true multimedia content. Please visit our technical page to get a list of the software you need. Problems and feedback on this site can also be found there.
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