2007 FLORIDA PANTHER 4139a Plate Block 4 x 26 cents US Postage Stamps

On May 12 2007 in Washington DC, the USPS issued this stamp featuring a highly stylized illustration of a Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi). This large tawny cat is related to the mountain lion; also known as a cougar or puma. Most active between dusk and dawn, the Florida panther is capable of short but quick bursts of speed while pursuing prey. Its diet includes white-tailed deer, small mammals, and birds. Florida panthers are rare and elusive animals. Critically endangered, there are fewer than a hundred of these animals remaining in the woodlands and wetlands of southern Florida. Nationally known illustrator Nancy Stahl used a photograph of a Florida panther as the basis for her stamp art. The leaves in the background are decorative elements and are not meant to represent any specific plant.