Black panther (melanistic jaguar): description of the animal with photos and videos, interesting facts. Black Panther

The panther is perhaps the most interesting and unusual representative among leopards. Due to its black coloration (not typical for other subspecies of spotted big cats), the panther was identified as a separate subspecies. From total mass Panther species are identified due to differences in coloration.

The thick, even, black color defines this animal as a melanist (an individual with the manifestation of a genetic color variant - melanism).

This animal belongs to the order of carnivores, cat family. On average, the body length reaches 1.0 - 1.0 m, height - 70 cm, weight - 60 kg. The tail of such a cat is quite long - about a meter.

Another striking difference between panthers and other leopards is the specific structure of the larynx. This allows the black beauties to produce a powerful roar. Their hyoid apparatus is not completely ossified - there is a flexible ligament on one of the bones, thanks to which the larynx can swell. Moreover, you yourself vocal cords are not separated, their structure is tubular, which is what allows the panther’s roar to be so spectacular.

Their sense of smell is excellently developed, which is great for hunting. Plus, at night the black coloring, combined with natural grace and smooth movements, helps the predator sneak up on the prey completely unnoticed.

How many years does a panther live? In captivity, about 20 years, in the wild - 12. The panther is often called the black leopard. These animals differ not only in color, but the habits of the panther are not the same as those of other leopards. This species is more aggressive and fearless. Such an animal does not feel fear of humans, unlike its brothers, and lions do not inspire horror and fear in it.

Where does the panther live? She lives both on the great plains and in tropical forests, and in the snow-capped mountains, and in the steppes. The species is distributed in tropical forests of the South and Southeast Asia, in southwestern China, Nepal, Burma and South India. In Indonesia and southern Malaysia, panthers are more common than light leopard species. The habitat of these wild cats is quite wide, they are also found in Ethiopia, the forests of Kenya and the Aberdares of Africa; many individuals live on the island of Java. It is known that at the beginning Quaternary period this animal lived even in Europe.

These cats often live near populated areas, but try to keep to themselves.

How panthers hunt is also very interesting: during the daytime they rest imposingly, gaining strength, and at night they go hunting. For daytime rest, they choose a place at the top of a tree, which guarantees their safety. They look for prey mainly on the ground, but they also like to hunt in trees, for example, monkeys. Their maximum running speed is 60 km/h. These black flexible cats can easily jump onto a tree more than five meters high.

With a shortage of wild meat in progress is underway livestock and any animals found within the habitat. Sometimes black leopards can eat a diet consisting of eggs of various birds, all kinds of fruits and herbs growing in their habitat.

Panthers often drag their prey into trees so that a hyena, lion or jackals do not take it away. At this height, the animal can relax and eat in peace.

The color of the panther varies depending on its habitat. The mountain panther is white, the tropical panther is black, yellow with black spots - an inhabitant of savannahs. This is a master of camouflage, easily blending into the surrounding nature.

What does a panther eat? Since this species can quickly adapt to changing environmental conditions, it is quite logical that it is practically omnivorous and survives even in difficult conditions.

The panther's menu consists of meat, including small and medium-sized animals; if necessary, all this is replaced by another type of prey.

Panthers are an endangered species. The biggest threat is humanity. Hunters kill these animals for their beautiful fur. For this reason, even these brave animals move as far as possible from human settlements, inland, closer to the habitat of wild animals.

Actually, a panther is none other than one of the representatives of leopards. They are distinguished due to the fact that, unlike ordinary leopards to which we are accustomed, panthers are melanistic animals that have only one even color. That is why they are called black panthers.

We decided to write about them separately from leopards due to the fact that panthers are more aggressive than most leopards. Panthers can get quite close to humans because they have absolutely no fear of people.

The panther is a very beautiful and graceful animal. The body length reaches 91-180 cm, the tail - 75-110 cm, weight is usually 32-40 kg, but occasionally exceeds 100 kg. They are found exclusively in tropical countries, especially on the island of Java.

Black individuals can appear in spotted parents, along with kittens that, like their parents, have spots. But subsequently, as happened in Java, the panthers gradually separated and interbred only with each other. Some zoologists say that there is a possibility of a complete separation of panthers from leopards in the near future, which will turn them into a separate species.

It happens that this predator lives not far from settlements, stays alone and goes out hunting at night. He climbs trees very well, often settling there for a day's rest or in ambush, and sometimes even catching monkeys in trees. However, the panther mainly hunts on the ground. Panthers sleep in trees, stretched out on branches with their paws hanging down. They can jump onto trees up to 5.5 meters high. There is one significant feature that distinguishes leopards from other big cats: their habit of dragging their prey into trees. Thus, their food remains safe and does not reach other predators - lions and hyenas.

Panthers are excellent predators. Well-developed sense organs help them in this. In addition, the coloring of panthers is the most suitable: it is impossible to see them in the dark, and they sneak up completely silently.

Panthers, when they are well-fed, will not attack even a small kid if it walks near the nose of a wild cat. But when a panther is hungry, it will attack everything. The danger for people is that panthers can settle near human habitation. If the panther is hungry for a long time, then the cat can easily enter villages and cities. Since panthers are night hunters, they often attack sleeping people. Although panthers become cannibals much less often than, say, tigers or lions.

The panther is a member of the cat family, whose genus consists of a mixture of several species: tiger, lion, leopard and jaguar. They began to be distinguished separately due to the fact that, unlike the cats listed above, panthers can be classified as melanistic animals that have a single, even color. That's why they are called black panthers.

Beauty and grace are what the panther can boast of. The body dimensions of the animal reach a length of 0.9-1.8 m, the tail is 0.8-1.2 m, the weight of the panther is on average 35-40 kg. The nature of the panther is approximately the same as that of many wild cats, i.e. attacks only when hungry or when defending territory. These creatures live exclusively in the tropics, especially on the island of Java.

Appearance and physiological features

It should be noted that spotted cats can produce not only kittens that also have spots, but also black kittens. However, in lately Panthers gradually separated from other representatives of the cat family and reproduce only among themselves. Some zoologists argue that in the near future there is a possibility of their complete separation from leopards, which will make panthers a separate species.

It should also be noted that panthers do not form groups and stay alone. The animal climbs trees well, often arranging rest or ambush there, and at times can hunt monkeys there. Despite this, the panther's most preferred hunting area is the ground.

Panthers have special structure larynx, which is why they are able to roar. The reason for this is the hyoid apparatus, which is not completely ossified, and there is a flexible ligament that allows the larynx to inflate. In addition, the animal's vocal cords are not divided, and forming a tubular structure, they function as a very effective device that reproduces sound. In Africa, only some animals can do this.

As for the size differences between male and female individuals, it is necessary to point out that the male panther is approximately 1/3 larger than the female panther.

Lifestyle

Panthers are predators that in most cases prefer to hunt large game, mainly ungulates. Sometimes prey can exceed the size of the predator itself several times. The animal can track its prey for a long time, and then attacks from ambush (usually in the area of watering holes). Maximum speed Panther speed is about 60 km/h.

These creatures eat food lying on their belly, resting their forearms and elbows on the caught prey; they tear off pieces of meat with the help of a strong upward jerk of their head. Mostly their activity manifests itself at night, although they can sometimes also be active during the daytime.

Many people wonder where panthers live? This issue deserves special attention, because this creature is capable of living both in the depths of the jungle and not far from human settlements.

For example, in Malaysia, approximately half of the leopards have black fur. In general, such gene changes are mainly characteristic of those wild cats that live in dense forests, where they rarely penetrate sun rays: animals with a dark color are not so noticeable, which makes their existence much easier.

As for sleep, these predators also give preference to trees. It is not at all difficult for them to jump onto trees. Maximum height the jump can be 5-6 meters. One more distinctive feature The thing about panthers is that they drag their prey up a tree. This is a very original method, because in this way the food is preserved better, since other predators, for example, hyenas or lions, cannot get it.

Are all panthers black?

No. As mentioned earlier, the panther is not a separate species of animal, but one of the cat genera. The reason why the panther is black is the result of genetic hereditary changes. Therefore, predators such as a leopard or jaguar may well have a black color.

It should be noted that creatures such as panthers get along well with their spotted counterparts, since, apart from the color of their coat, they are no different from each other. Nature has arranged it this way so that the creatures that live in it receive an additional advantage that helps them in the process of survival.

Many people wonder what type of big cat is called a black panther or is the black panther not a separate species?

Black Panther - myths and facts

The black panther is a melanistic cat species. Melanistic is usually characterized by a brown or black coloration. The reason for its appearance is the increased content of melanin (dark pigment).

Melanism is observed in both invertebrates and vertebrates. This is either a form of adaptation to environment(protection function), or a genetic disorder. Melanism occurs, for example, in foxes. Silver fox is a form of melanism in the red fox.

A black panther is usually a leopard, less often a jaguar. Melanism in jaguars is caused by a dominant form of an alternative gene; in the case of a leopard, it is caused by a recessive form of this gene.

In wild cats, melanism is more common in animals that live in dense forests where the skin is less exposed sunlight.

Jaguar - Panther

The offspring of a black panther can have either black or spotted skin color.

A black panther is usually:

Jaguar, native to South and Central America;
A leopard that lives mainly in Africa and Asia.

It is worth noting that the South American jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi) is a small cat with a length of 53 - 77 cm and a weight of 3.5 to 9 kg. There are, but extremely rare, black tigers.

Panther and leopard

For those who know Mendel's laws, to the question of whether the brothers and sisters in a panther's litter will necessarily be black, the answer will be obvious - not necessarily. In one litter there can be both black and colored leopards or jaguars with regular spots.

Panther is a dangerous predator

We must not forget that the black panther is a dangerous wild predator. IN wildlife leopards, black panthers, are most common in the forested areas of southwest China, Myanmar (Burma) and Nepal. There are also in South India - Travancore and in the northeastern province of Assam, at the foot of the Himalayas.

Black leopards are often found on the island of Java and the southern Malay Peninsula, where they may be even more common than usual. Extremely rare in Africa, although there are reports of black leopards in Ethiopia (formerly Abyssinia) and the forests and mountains of Kenya. One of the black leopards was recorded in equatorial forests Cameroon.

Listen to the voice of the panther

Black leopard fur color is a mixture of blue, black, gray and purple.

The black leopard's fur has a finer texture than regular spotted fur. The black panther in zoos is represented mainly by leopards and less often by jaguars. Black leopards have been bred in captivity for many years. These cats are smaller and have narrower bones than normal cats. Black leopards are less likely to give birth to offspring.

In a black jaguar's litter, the offspring can be either black or spotted. Jaguars whose parents are both dark in color are almost black. At the same time, cubs from mixed marriages (spotted jaguar and black jaguar) have the color of charcoal, not black. The spots on the skin of such a panther are more noticeable. The black jaguar is considered a separate species in the areas in which it is found.

In fact, the word “panther” hides not a separate biological species, A whole family the cat family, which includes such formidable predators like the lion, jaguar and leopard. As for the well-known black panther, it is usually a leopard or jaguar, which has a corresponding black color.

Why is the panther black?

The panther's black coloring is caused by special mutations in the animal's genes known as melanism. Such a mutation is very common among predatory felines, for example, in Malaysia, approximately half of all leopards there are black in color as a result of melanism and, in fact, are black panthers.

The black color of these animals often has practical significance(after all, nature is always wise in its actions), so many black panthers live in dense forests, where, with a lack of lighting, dark animals are less noticeable, which makes their life much easier.

Panther: description, structure, characteristics. What does a panther look like?

The calling card of any panther is its signature black color. Although if you look at the panther more closely, you will notice that its fur is covered with dark spots of different shades, all this creates the appearance of a black color.

Panthers are large predators, the weight of a panther can reach 40-50 kg. The body is oblong and reaches up to two meters in length.

The panther also has four powerful and large paws, with long and sharp claws that retract into the fingers (their structure is approximately the same as that of the kindest feline - the domestic cat).

The panther's head is very large, somewhat elongated, with small ears on the top of the head. The panther's eyes are medium-sized with large pupils. Panther also has in stock sharp teeth and powerful jaws.

The panther has fur all over its body, and there is also very long tail, which can sometimes be up to half the length of the animal.

Where does the panther live?

Panthers live over a wide geographic range, with many of them living on the African continent, especially in the mountains of Ethiopia and Kenya. They are also found in Asia and South America, only, of course, the black panthers of South America have a significant difference from the black panthers of Asia, there they are actually black jaguars, while in Asia they are black leopards.

What does a panther eat?

All panthers are ferocious and dangerous predators, and one of the most dangerous among the cat family. If a panther is hungry, it can easily attack any nearby game, including humans. But most often the panther gets to eat various herbivores: zebras, buffalos, antelopes. Sometimes the panther is not averse to having a snack and... Domestic animals: cows, sheep, also finding themselves unattended in the jungle, have a high chance of becoming food for panthers.

Panthers always go hunting at night; in the dark, thanks to their black color, they become practically invisible, which gives them the opportunity to watch for potential prey without any problems.

Panther lifestyle

Panthers, like real representatives of the cat family, are true individualists, preferring to live alone, or in pairs of male + female. Occasionally they can gather in a pride, as lions do, creating small family panthers, but this doesn’t happen often.

Panthers are territorial animals, each panther has its own certain territory, so to speak, hunting grounds where it is not advisable for other panthers to enter.

Panthers lead night look life, which is greatly facilitated by their black color, thanks to which night hunting is much more preferable for the panther than chasing game during the day.

How long does a panther live?

The lifespan of a panther, like many other representatives of the cat family, is on average 10-12 years, but there have been cases when a panther lived up to 20 years.

Panther breeding

Panthers reach sexual maturity by 2-3 years. And since they live in a constantly warm climate, they can reproduce all year round. The male, having found a suitable female, has sexual intercourse with her. Having become pregnant, the female looks for a safe and comfortable place to give birth.

The pregnancy itself in a female panther lasts 3-3.5 months. Usually, a panther gives birth to two or three small kittens (well, not really kittens), like the babies of an ordinary cat, at first they are blind, and only then their eyes appear. At first, mother panther does not leave her babies, feeding them milk, while dad, like a real breadwinner, brings food.

In general, panthers are very caring towards their offspring, and at an older age, the mother panther teaches her cubs how to move correctly, hunt and other intricacies of their animal life. When a panther reaches a year, it already becomes a fully grown animal ready for independent life.

The panther gained great popularity in popular culture thanks to the book English writer Kipling's "Mowgli", as we remember, a black panther named Bagheera was one of the main positive characters of this book.
The panther found its place in heraldry, as it was the emblem English kings Henry IV and Henry VI.
As the personification of valor and courage, the panther is present on the coat of arms of the African state of Gabon.