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Factors Influencing the Extinction of Felis concolor coryi

Michael Fosburg

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The purpose of this research project is to determine the rate of extinction of the highly endangered Felis concolor coryi, by using the VORTEX population modeling program. It is important to known the rate of extinction and the reasons behind it, to because it will better help us manage and save the remaining population that is highly endangered. The procedure includes gathering population and life history data on Florida panthers from previous scientific research.

I ran the VORTEX program six times, reporting the extinction probability every ten years for the next one hundred years. For each test I changed the mortality rate variable of adult males and adult females in the population as a percent of the animals alive at age x that died before reaching age x+1. Four out of six tests showed extinction in the next one hundred years, directly as a result of high female mortality rates but not high male mortality rates.

Two tests ran using VORTEX proved the panther would not go extinct, if female mortality rates were low to none. My hypothesis was correct and I found that the extinction of coryi would hasten if females had a higher mortality rate than males, seeing a drastic reduction in kittens would follow a drop in the female population.