The Florida panther exists now primarily in national and state parks and nearby private lands in southwest Florida Panther kittens can be born at any time during the year, but most are born during the late spring. When the kittens are born, the mother gently holds them with her paw and licks them dry. Afterwards, the kittens nuzzle up to their mother and drink her warm milk. A typical panther den site is located in a saw palmetto thicket taller than 6 feet. These palmettos create a canopy that shelters the kittens from rain and exposure to the sun.
Dens can be considerably cooler than outside air temperatures.
The den is nothing more than a patch of bare ground beneath the stems and among the roots of palmettos.