Growth and reproduction
Female panthers reach sexual maturity at about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 years of age, and males at about 3 years of age.Female panthers reach sexual maturity at about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 years of age, and males at about 3 years of age.Panthers, like all other cats with the possible exception of lions, are induced ovulators. This means that the stimulus of copulation triggers the release of the egg by the ovary. Induced ovulation is an adaptation for solitary cats to increase the probability that the egg will be fertilized. Humans and other more social species are spontaneous ovulators: they release eggs even in the absence of males.
FACT: A female will signify her sexual availability by the scent of her urine and by caterwauling, a yowl some people think sounds like the scream of a human female and which gave the panther the name screamer.
he gestation period for panthers kittens is 92 to 96 days and litters consist of from 1 to 4 kittens. Births can occur at any time of year but are most common in the late spring Before giving birth, the female panther will choose a den site, usually in a palmetto thicket. Panthers don’t go to any effort to prepare a den but an opening is created in the dense vegetation simply by resting and nursing kittens for several days in the same location. Kittens weigh about 500 grams at birth. Their eyes are closed and they have grayish-brown fur with dark spots.
FACT: A female will signify her sexual availability by the scent of her urine and by caterwauling, a yowl some people think sounds like the scream of a human female and which gave the panther the name screamer.
he gestation period for panthers kittens is 92 to 96 days and litters consist of from 1 to 4 kittens. Births can occur at any time of year but are most common in the late spring Before giving birth, the female panther will choose a den site, usually in a palmetto thicket. Panthers don’t go to any effort to prepare a den but an opening is created in the dense vegetation simply by resting and nursing kittens for several days in the same location. Kittens weigh about 500 grams at birth. Their eyes are closed and they have grayish-brown fur with dark spots.