The black panther is an incredibly beautiful animal. Animal black panther: where it lives and what it looks like What is the name of a male panther?

This black beauty is a flexible and fearless animal. The panther is the heroine of numerous fairy tales, legends and myths. Goddess of the animal world, graceful and majestic... This is all a black panther - a wild cat. One of the most mysterious predators on our planet.

Why black?

It is a mistaken belief that a panther must be black. This is wrong. The fact is that the black panther is not a separate species, but just a subspecies of the cat family. In fact, it is a leopard or jaguar with black fur. Such animals are also called melanists, and their color is determined by their habitat and lifestyle. Since the black panther lives in dense forests and hunts at night, it is convenient for it to have this color. At the same time, its mountain relatives are white, and the abodes of savannahs and steppes are yellow with black speckles.

By the way, the skin of a black panther is often heterogeneous. It may have light spots and be brown with a black tint. Panthers different colors They interbreed well and produce offspring. If in a family one of the parents is black and the other is yellow, then the cubs are most likely to be yellow, since this color is genetically stronger. To be guaranteed to get dark offspring, you need to cross two black individuals.

Physiological characteristics of the black panther

The Panther is a well-built wild cat with a harmonious, flexible body, beautiful strong paws and long tail. Its weight is approximately 60 kg, its height is 70 cm, and its body length is from one to two meters. This is a very graceful animal. The panther has well-developed olfactory organs, which helps it hunt. The movements of a wild cat are smooth and silent. This plus the black color, which allows it to blend into the night, allows the predator to sneak up on the prey unnoticed and take it by surprise.

An interesting feature of panthers is their specific larynx, which can inflate thanks to the flexible bone of the hyoid apparatus. This structure of the vocal apparatus allows them to emit a chilling roar. She runs at a speed of 60 m/s, and her jump height reaches six meters. As you can see, this wild cat is a fairly fast animal. The panther easily catches up with its prey.

Lifespan

A panther lives on average 12 years. In captivity, its lifespan increases to 20. True, keeping a black cat in a cage, much less training it, is not the best idea. After all, the panther is very aggressive, willful and has no fear of anyone. Neither before the king of beasts - the lion, nor before the ruler of the planet - man. Being around her is simply dangerous.

Where does the black panther live and how does it hunt?

The main habitat of black panthers is rainforests Africa, Asia and South America. Most often, they prefer to stay away from human habitation, but there are also cases when wild cats live near villages and cities.

Panther is a predator. Her favorite food - meat of large and medium-sized ungulates, but in the most extreme cases it can be content with monkeys, bird eggs and even fruits. Panthers in the wild are able to go without food for 4-5 days. And when they get hungry, they represent terrible force threatening even humans. There are frequent cases of panthers attacking sleeping people, and a cow stolen from a barn is generally a common occurrence. At the same time, a well-fed panther will not touch even a kid located at an outstretched paw distance.

The predator looks out for and kills its victims on the ground (often at watering holes), and likes to dine in a tree, lying on its stomach and tearing off large pieces of meat with a jerk of its head. There, among the branches, at a height of more than five meters, she sleeps during the day before the night hunt.

Features of reproduction

Pregnancy in panthers lasts 3-3.5 months, after which charming kittens are born. Most often there are two of them, less often - one and very rarely - 4-5 babies. Large litters are typical for cats living in warm regions. Panther - caring mother. For childbirth, she looks for a remote, dark place away from prying eyes. This could be either a hole under the roots of trees, or a cave, or a hollow.

The wild cat devotes all her time to the kids. She does not leave them for a minute and does not let anyone, not even the father, near her children. Without hesitation he would give his life for them. For the first 10 days, the panther practically does not eat or drink, since it does not leave its den. She is content only with what the male brings her, and sometimes drives herself to starvation. When the kittens become sighted and begin to hear, the mother slowly returns to old life, but continues to care for children up to one year of age.

Panther in mythology and fairy tales

The most famous representative of these wild cats is the heroine of the fairy tale “Mowgli” by Kipling. By the way, in the original “The Jungle Book” it was not about the beautiful Bagheera, but about a handsome man named Bagheera. The gender change occurred already during translation into Russian.

And, of course, Kipling is not the first to put the panther on a pedestal. For example, the Sumerians considered her the goddess of fertility and love; the Chinese associated the panther with woman in all its forms; For the Indians, the black jaguar was the embodiment of limitless strength and power. Even the Christian religion has not ignored this unique animal. In the Hebrew commentary of the Holy Scriptures, the name of Mary’s husband, Joseph, is translated as “panther,” and this man himself is endowed with the gift of healing from illness and salvation from certain death.

This is such a unique animal. The panther is highly respected by humans, and this is not surprising. After all, she is not only dazzlingly beautiful. Her intelligence, wisdom, dexterity and desperate fearlessness evoke genuine admiration!

Large predators cat family with signs of melanism began to be called panthers at the whim of man. The history of the name goes back to Latin, Greek, and ancient Indian languages, meaning “tiger”. Myths and facts about the life of panthers are thoroughly intertwined.

Genetic characteristics animals is either a disorder or a form of defense in a harsh environment. Dark color often appears in predators that spend a long time in impenetrable forests, where sunlight almost doesn't hit. In dense bushes, the night-colored hide aids survival.

Black panthers include formidable representatives of predators:

• tiger;
• lion;
• leopard;
• jaguar.

In Malaysia, half of all leopards can be classified as panthers based on the animal's corresponding black coloration.

The panther is not a separate species, but a genus of cats with a genetic change in color

Black cougars are not found, although the gene mutation leading to melanism is present even in foxes, which are called silver foxes. From a distance, the color of the skins of melanistic animals appears uniform, but up close you can see visible spots on a dark background.

Apart from color, other individuals of the genus are no different from their relatives. Crossing produces multi-colored offspring: chocolate, red, spotted, and less often black. This is explained by the laws of genetics, according to which the recessive black gene is often suppressed by others.

In numerous photographs, black panthers are most often seen

• South American jaguars, which display a dominant form of the alternative gene;
• African or Asian leopards with a recessive form of the gene.

It is interesting that the name “panther” is applied to other animals of the cat family with reddish, even white skin. But anyway business card classic image - Mephistophelian color. The black color scheme contains shades of blue, gray and purple flowers.

Black Panther - Animal big size. Body length is up to 2 meters, height is approximately 70 cm, weight is 50-60 kg. The elongated body of the predator is flexible, fit, and graceful. Strong paws, large claws on the fingers, which the animal retracts like a domestic animal.

The tail can be equal to half the length of the body. Males are approximately 25% larger than females.

The animal's head is large, slightly elongated. The ears and eyes are small. The look of a real predator, piercing and cold. Powerful jaws and sharp teeth complement the image of a merciless beast.

Most panthers have an aggressive nature, which makes the animal very dangerous.

Many ancient peoples believed black panther - totem animal. Grace, greatness, strength, and willfulness of character have always evoked special worship of man for the graceful and ferocious animal. The speed of a running panther reaches 80 km/h, and its jump height is up to 6 meters.

The panther in heraldry is depicted as enraged, with flames coming from its mouth and ears. In the description, she is endowed with beautiful features and is credited with magical singing, which captivates other animals except the dragon. He runs away from the panther.

In reality, the panther has a special larynx, which allows it to emit a terrible roar, chilling the soul in the dark.

Kinds

We can talk about the types of panthers conditionally, since the nature of the animal is based on genetic mutation four known species cat family: leopard (leopard), jaguar, lion and.

Panther-leopards are superior to lions and tigers in swiftness and agility. The ability to climb trees and rocks, excellent reaction, and fearlessness make them super cats. The ancient Sumerians recognized black panthers as goddesses of fertility and love.

Panther-jaguars are also unique in their ability to survive in different environments. The Indians called them deities of darkness, and the roar of animals was considered a clap of thunder.

Artificial breeding of hybrids, i.e. crossing panthers and other wild cats, led to the appearance of:

• Tigona - a hybrid of a lioness (panther) and a tiger;
• ligra - a hybrid of a tigress and a lion (panther);
• leopona - a hybrid of a lioness and a leopard (panther);
• pumaparda - a hybrid of a puma and a leopard (panther).

IN natural environment hybrids do not occur due to different natural habitats tigers and lions. Birth of different kittens related species perhaps in cramped conditions of zoos and circuses.

Ligers are born much more often than tigons. The hereditary traits of the father predominate in the appearance of the kittens. Today, ligers are the largest cats, reaching 4 meters in height and weighing more than 300 kg. It is almost impossible to get offspring from them.

Tigons appear less frequently. After birth, babies are usually sick and weak. The size of grown individuals is smaller than that of their parents.

As a reminder of the existence of the leopon and pumapard, only stuffed animals, doomed to extinction, remained. Many researchers are convinced that experiments on crossing these predators are futile.

Lifestyle and habitat

The geographical range of panthers is wide. Numerous populations are found in Asia, South Africa, and Africa. If black leopards are more common in the mountains of Ethiopia, then black jaguars live in the American wilds.

IN wildlife Panthers are attracted to tropical, mountain foothills. Places, where does the black panther live, most often impassable and remote from human settlements. When meeting a person, animals do not show aggression unless they are hungry and do not need self-defense. Dangerous predator has cunning and great strength.

Black Panthers lead predominantly night image life. Their color gives them a significant advantage in hunting. They move silently, smoothly, and their excellent sense of smell allows them to easily detect prey.

During the day, after long walks in the dense forest, panthers sleep for a long time among the branches. They find places to rest in dense thickets at an altitude of 4-5 meters.

The character of animals is characterized by willfulness, perseverance, and determination. Attempts to make the animal domestic and tame inevitably ended in failure. Therefore, it is very rare to see black panthers at circus performances.

They are practically impossible to train. The only attraction with panthers in Europe is run by Maritsa Zapashnaya. The unpredictability of animals is always associated with great risk when working with them.

These are individualists by nature, preferring a solitary existence or married couples. The creation of a pride, like that of lions, is a rare exception. Each individual or pair has its own territory, the boundaries of which cannot be violated by relatives.

Panthers are considered perhaps the most bloodthirsty predators among other felines. A hungry animal does not choose a victim, it rushes at every living thing. Panthers have no fear of anyone. The panther can approach a person on its own, unlike other cautious relatives.

Predatory animals are always attractive inhabitants of zoos. Visitors different countries show an abiding interest in wildlife. The mystery of other worlds and the secrets of their inhabitants attract people who make panthers symbols of various cultures. It is no coincidence that the image of the panther Bagheera based on Kipling’s book “Mowgli” became widely known.

Interesting fact noticed by fans English writer. The fairy tale actually shows male black panther Bagheer. But during the translation process, the character’s gender was changed, since the word panther female. In addition, the grace, elegance, wisdom, and beauty inherent in the image were usually attributed to heroines.

Possessing colossal patience, panthers can track prey for hours

Nutrition

The predator's favorite food is the meat of large herbivores: buffalo, antelope, zebra. The theft of domestic sheep, cows, and pigs without human supervision is common. Hungry animals are content with monkeys, game, eggs from nests, and can even feast on the fruits of garden trees.

Panthers search for victims on the ground, often guarding prey at watering holes. Eating meat takes place on a tree. The carcass is torn to pieces sharp teeth and head jerks. This feature distinguishes panthers from their relatives, lions and other feline relatives.

At altitude, food is inaccessible to terrestrial competitors - hyenas, jackals and other predators.

Animals can survive without food for 4-5 days. But then panthers are able to sneak into homes, farmsteads, and barns in search of prey. It is interesting that a well-fed animal will not even touch a kid standing at its paw.

A hungry beast will stop at nothing. The panther has been observed in cannibalism, but to a lesser extent than tigers or lions.

Reproduction and lifespan

Kittens of the family reach sexual maturity at 2-3 years. Warm climate in the habitat allows reproduction all year round. After mating, the female looks for a remote, safe place to give birth. Most often, this is a hole between the roots of trees, a secluded place in a cave, or a large hollow. The duration of pregnancy is 3-3.5 months.

There are usually two kittens in a litter, much less often there is one. exceptional cases the appearance of 4-5 babies. Kittens are born blind. Panther is a caring mother. At first she doesn’t let anyone near the heirs, she doesn’t go anywhere herself.

Habitual spotted animals can give birth to black kittens, but panthers then interbreed with each other

Until 10 days, the female is occupied only with babies. She warms them, licks them, feeds them. No one dares to approach the mother's den. The kittens feed on milk, the father of the family takes care of the female and brings her food.

When the female runs to the watering hole, the babies do not remain for long under the guardianship of the father. In her worries, the panther mother sometimes brings herself to exhaustion.

When the kittens develop vision and hearing, the female begins to gradually restore her strength and return to usual life, but continues to take care of the offspring. Guardianship of growing kittens, training them in hunting and movement skills lasts about a year, after which the young animals independently cope with the intricacies of animal life.

Panthers can care for their kittens for up to two years.

IN natural conditions Panthers live 10-12 years. In captivity, under human control, life expectancy increases to 20 years. Observations of predators show that in the second ten years of life there is a decrease in the vital activity of animals.

The search for easy victims and feeding on carrion replaces hunting for large and strong animals. The strength is gradually leaving the fearless panthers.

The color of the offspring largely depends on the color of the skins of the parents. Black kittens are rare, as the recessive black gene is suppressed by others. It is possible to achieve the emergence of a new generation of black panthers if they have the same ancestors. As a rule, targeted breeding of feline predators is carried out in nurseries.

Nature doesn't create truly beautiful panthers very often. The human influence on maintaining such a miracle is very noticeable. As in mythology, so in life, strength and beauty win.

• The armor of the frontal armor plates of the hull has been increased from 80 mm (upper) and 60 mm (lower) to 82 and 62 mm, as well as the fender plate from 30 to 41 mm, the bottom plate and roof from 16 to 17 mm.
• The armor of the frontal plate of the Pz-V_Standardturm turret was changed from 110 to 100 mm, the gun mantlet and roof from 100 to 120 mm, and the protection of viewing devices from 16 to 30 mm.
• The rate of fire of the 88mm_KwK_36_L56 gun in the top turret is set to 10.34 rounds per minute.
• The rate of fire of the 88mm_KwK_43_L71 gun is set to 9.84 rounds per minute.

Update 0.6.6

• Rebalanced for level 7.

Update 0.7.0

• Ammo rack durability reduced by 20%.
• The view of the top tower has been increased from 420 to 430 meters.

Update 0.8.4

• The angle of inclination of the lower frontal part has been increased to the historical 55 degrees.
• The thickness of the lower frontal part has been reduced to the historical 50 mm.

Update 0.8.8

• The rotation speed of the Pz.Kpfw chassis. Panther Ausf. A changed from 25 to 30 deg/sec.
• Scatter of the gun due to the movement of the Pz.Kpfw chassis. Panther Ausf. A reduced by 5%.
• Dispersion of the gun due to rotation of the Pz.Kpfw chassis. Panther Ausf. A reduced by 5%.
• Chassis resistance of Pz.Kpfw. Panther Ausf. A on hard soils is reduced by 15%.
• Chassis resistance of Pz.Kpfw. Panther Ausf. A for medium soils is reduced by 28%.
• Chassis resistance of Pz.Kpfw. Panther Ausf. A for soft soils is reduced by 17%.
• Load capacity of the Pz.Kpfw chassis. Panther Ausf. G changed from 49,300 kg to 48,000 kg.
• The rotation speed of the Pz.Kpfw chassis. Panther Ausf. G changed from 28 to 32 deg/sec.
• Scatter of the gun due to the movement of the Pz.Kpfw chassis. Panther Ausf. G reduced by 5%.
• Dispersion of the gun due to rotation of the Pz.Kpfw chassis. Panther Ausf. G reduced by 5%.
• Chassis resistance of Pz.Kpfw. Panther Ausf. G on hard soils reduced by 9%.
• Chassis resistance of Pz.Kpfw. Panther Ausf. G on medium soils is reduced by 14%.
• Chassis resistance of Pz.Kpfw. Panther Ausf. G on soft soils is reduced by 4%.
• Added Maybach HL 210 TRM P30 engine.
• Added Maybach HL 230 TRM P30 engine.
• The Maybach HL 174 engine has been removed.
• The Maybach HL 210 P30 engine has been removed.
• The Maybach HL 230 P45 engine has been removed.
• The hull weight has been changed from 20,500 kg to 18,775 kg.
• Added FuG 5 radio station.
• The maximum forward speed has been changed from 48 km/h to 55 km/h.
• The aiming time of the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun has been changed from 2.3 seconds. up to 3.5 sec.
• The dispersion of the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun after firing has been increased by 50%.

For the Pz.Kpfw turret. Panther Schmalturm

• The elevation angle of the 10.5 cm KwK 42 L/28 gun has been changed from 17 to 20 degrees.
• The dispersion of the 10.5 cm KwK 42 L/28 gun after firing has been reduced by 12%.
• The dispersion of the 10.5 cm KwK 42 L/28 gun when rotating the turret has been increased by 14%.
• The elevation angle of the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun has been changed from 17 to 20 degrees.
• The reload time of the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun has been changed from 4.6 sec. up to 4 sec.
• The dispersion of the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun after firing has been reduced by 12%.
• The dispersion of the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun when rotating the turret has been reduced by 14%.
• The elevation angle of the 7.5 cm KwK 45 L/100 gun has been changed from 17 to 20 degrees.
• The declination angle of the 7.5 cm KwK 45 L/100 gun has been changed from 6 to 8 degrees.
• The reload time of the 7.5 cm KwK 45 L/100 gun has been changed from 4.8 sec. up to 4.4 sec.
• The 8.8 cm KwK 36 L/56 gun has been removed.
• Pz.Kpfw turret traverse speed. Panther Schmalturm changed from 26 to 30 deg/sec
• The mass of the turret has been changed from 10,800 kg to 7,745 kg.
• Durability with Pz.Kpfw turret. Panther Schmalturm changed from 1270 to 1300 units.

For the Pz.Kpfw turret. Panther Ausf. G

• View range of the Pz.Kpfw turret. Panther Ausf. G changed from 350 m to 370 m.
• The elevation angle of the 10.5 cm KwK 42 L/28 gun has been changed from 17 to 18 degrees.
• The declination angle of the 10.5 cm KwK 42 L/28 gun has been changed from 6 to 8 degrees.
• The elevation angle of the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun has been changed from 17 to 18 degrees.
• The declination angle of the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun has been changed from 6 to 8 degrees.
• The reload time of the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun has been changed from 5.1 sec. up to 4.2 sec.
• The dispersion of the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun when rotating the turret has been reduced by 12%.
• Added 7.5 cm KwK 45 L/100 gun.
• Pz.Kpfw turret traverse speed. Panther Ausf. G changed from 41 to 30 deg/sec.
• The mass of the turret has been changed from 9600 kg to 7760 kg.

Update 0.9.0

• The tank has been redesigned with a new visual quality.

Update 0.9.17.1

• Reload time for 7.5 cm Kw.K gun. L/100 in the second tower was reduced from 4.4 to 4 s.
• Reload time for 7.5 cm Kw.K gun. L/100 in the first tower was reduced from 4.6 to 4.2 s.

Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia

Black Panthers- dark-colored individuals of a number of panther species, representing a genetic color variant - a manifestation of melanism. Black Panther is not an independent species. Most often it is a leopard or jaguar.

Apart from their color, black and spotted individuals of leopards and jaguars are no different; they interbreed freely and produce fertile offspring. The cubs from such pairs can be very different - both spotted and black. But the latter is less common because the black gene is recessive and is often suppressed by the spotted gene.

Incomplete melanism

A concept close to melanism is incomplete melanism or pseudo-melanism (“abundism”)- a condition in which increased pigmentation of the skin or other integuments does not occur uniformly, but in separate areas. Pseudo-melanism occurs in leopards. In abundism, for example, spots or stripes in animals with spotted or striped coat coloration can expand until they merge, which leads to so-called pseudo-melanism. Melanism and abundism most often result from mutations, but can also occur due to other factors, such as the effects of temperature during pregnancy, which can affect gene transcription and translation.

In heraldry and mythology

Heraldic Panthers

• The heraldic panther is always depicted " incensed”, that is, fire-breathing (enraged), with flames escaping from the mouth and ears. The creature is described as beautiful and kind. When the panther awakens from its sleep, it utters a pleasant high-pitched song, and a delicious stream of sweet-smelling breath comes from its mouth, so that all the animals follow it (except the dragon, which is afraid of the panther and runs away).
• The Panther was the emblem ( badge) English kings Henry IV and Henry VI. Sometimes she is depicted as an ordinary panther-type animal, sometimes (especially in German heraldry) as a creature with four horns, cow ears and a long red flame-shaped tongue.
• On the coat of arms of an African country