Environmental groups have upped the pressure on the federal government to designate critical habitat for the endangered Florida panther, a move that could potentially limit development in some areas of South Florida.

Three groups are asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to tag up to 3 million acres, an expanse twice the size of Everglades National Park, with the designation. Their petition follows a similar request in January from the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.

``Development and trade-offs invariably leave the Florida panther with less room to roam,'' said Michael Robinson, of the Center for Biological Diversity, who wrote the petition filed with the federal government Thursday. ``There is a very small window of opportunity to save the panther.''

The designation, if the service approved, wouldn't stop development but could curb it with land-use restrictions in areas prowled by the rare cats. Parts of eastern Collier, Lee and Hendry counties are labeled as primary habitat but undeveloped outskirts of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties also could fall under the designation.

Nearly extinct a decade ago with as few as 30 adults weakened by in-breeding, the panther population has actually rebounded thanks largely to a cross-breeding program with Texas cougars. They've slowly but steadily multiplied to an estimated 80 to 100. But recovery efforts have been squeezed by explosive growth, particularly in Southwest Florida. The cats demand vast space -- males typically prowl 200-square-mile territories -- and are running into more suburbs and roads. Vehicle strikes are now a leading killer.

State and federal agencies have long contended they lack power to control habitat loss, the cat's biggest threat.

Federal recovery plans pin the panther's best hope on establishing new colonies outside South Florida -- either by creating protected natural corridors to ease movements or by ``translocation,'' meaning trucking cats to other areas in the state and Southeast.

The petition was joined by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and the Council of Civic Associations, a Bonita Springs group.

Earlier this month, the Center for Biological Diversity and Florida Biodiversity Project also sued the wildlife service seeking to restore 70,000 acres of Everglades National Park as critical habitat for the endangered Cape Sable seaside sparrow. The area was removed during the Bush administration.

Also this month, the wildlife service settled another center lawsuit by agreeing to protect 840,000 acres of nearshore waters along the southwest coast as critical habitat for endangered smalltooth sawfish.

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