Florida panthers are a subspecies of the mountain lion. They are large, tan cats—their bodies are mainly covered in tawny-beige fur, except for the whitish-gray belly and chest. Black markings decorate the tip of the tail, ears, and around the snout.

Florida panthers are about six to seven feet (1.8 to 2.1 meters) long, with males growing bigger than females. A good way to tell a Florida panther from other subspecies of mountain lion is by looking at the tail and back. Florida panthers usually have a crooked tail and a unique patch of fur on the back. The back fur is almost like a cowlick, not conforming to the rest of the panther’s fur. These are not true subspecies differences, however, because kinked tails and cowlicks are a negative consequence of inbreeding and poor genetic variation. Florida panthers often suffer these traits because their populations had been so low in the past that multiple generations of inbreeding were unavoidable. Over time, the prevalence of kinked tails and cowlicks has decreased as Florida panther populations have begun to grow once again.