relatively sparse in cypress forests. White-tailed deer are less numerous in cypress-dominated habitats than they are in more varied habitats with marshes, pinelands, prairies, and hammocks. Hardwood swamps occur along rivers in north Florida and in strands along sloughs in south Florida. Sloughs are broad shallow channels that contain flowing water. They often correspond to linear depressions in the underlying limestone (Florida Natural Area Inventory 1990). In south Florida, hardwood swamps consist of a dense mix of oaks, black gum, willow, cypress, and red maple as well as palms. Within the strand, the soil is very rich, but is usually covered by a few inches to several feet of water. This in combination with the dense forest canopy limits the amount of food available to white-tailed deer. Water also limits the presence of wild hogs in hardwood swamps. Raccoons and a wide variety of amphibians, reptiles, and birds are found in hardwood swamps. The largest freshwater marsh within the panther's range is the Everglades. Sawgrass stretches as far as the eye can see interrupted only by occasional hardwood hammocks. The soils are acidic peat and marshes are typically wet about 250 days per year. Flying over the Everglades, Game Commission biologist Chris Belden looked down to see a panther swimming through sawgrass between hardwood hammocks. Freshwater marshes support flocks of wading birds as well as alligators and fish. During the summer, marshes are important foraging sites for white-tailed deer and wild hogs. Natural light ground fires are started by lightning in the dry season and keep bushes and trees from growing.At one time there was a bounty on the Florida panther. They were hunted as a sport until 1958 and were then included in the first endangered list published in the "Federal Register" on March 11, 1967. Then in 1979 it became a crime to kill a panther in the state of Florida and then in 1982 school children ma...
