An interesting and not commonly known sciency fact: The black panther is not its own cat species; it's just a general term for any large cat, predominantly those in the genus Panthera including leopards and jaguars, that have developed a melanistic color variant resulting in a black coat. These darker cats are the same species as their lighter counterparts. The genus Panthera, includes jaguar, leopard, lion, snow leopard, and tiger.
Melanisim is a genetic mutation that results in the overproduction of melanin, causing a dark appearance, and can occur in birds and reptiles, too! About 10% of jaguars and leopards are born melanisitic and therefore are referred to as black panthers. If you look closely, you'll see spots under all that dark fur!
Melanisim is a genetic mutation that results in the overproduction of melanin, causing a dark appearance, and can occur in birds and reptiles, too! About 10% of jaguars and leopards are born melanisitic and therefore are referred to as black panthers. If you look closely, you'll see spots under all that dark fur!