SUMMARY: Rudyard Kipling immortalized Black Panthers with the beloved character, Bagheera, in his much loved children's classic The Jungle Book.

The term "Black Panther" is quite often used in connection with large black cats - however there is no one distinct species of wild cat called a Black Panther. Over the years it has become used as a common name which can be applied to any large black coated cat. Both black leopards and black jaguars are often born in the same litter as the normal colored cats, because the black color, called melanism, is due to a recessive gene. So, melanistic cubs can be born to two spotted parents. The cats are actually dark brown, with the same pattern of black spots as any other leopard. There are no solid black big cats. The Florida Panther is a non-melanistic subspecies of the cougar.

• There is no one distinct species of wild cat called a Black Panther.
• A Black Panther is either a Leopard, Jaguar, or Cougar with Melanistic coloration.
• Melanistic leopards are more commonly found in dense tropical rain forest of S.E Asia.
• All Black Panthers are born in the same litter as normally marked cats.
• In North America, the term panther is commonly used for the cougar (genus Puma).
• In Latin America panther often used to mean a jaguar.
• Elsewhere in the world panther refers to the leopard.
• The Florida panther enjoys almost mythic status.
• It is a myth that black leopards are often rejected by their mothers at an early age.
• Some say the U.S. black panther sightings is the jaguarundi, a cat very similar genetically to the cougar

Black or melanistic leopards are the most common form of black panther in captivity. They have been selectively bred for decades in the zoo and exotic pet trades. Black leopards are smaller and more lightly built than normally-pigmented individuals. The spotted pattern is still visible on black leopards, especially from certain angles where the effect is that of printed silk. Skin color is a mixture of blue black gray and purple with rosettes. Black leopards can hunt and kill animals that outweigh them by more than 1,000 pounds but this is rare because of competition from tigers and lions.

All black or melanistic leopards are born in the same litter as normally marked cats and also carry the rosette markings, although these are masked by the darkness of the fur. It has been observed that the melantistic leopard is more commonly found in dense tropical rain forest of S.E Asia. There it is thought that the dark coloration acts as better camouflage in the low sun light conditions of the forest floor, giving the cat an advantage in hunting. If this is the case, it is also possible that a black leopard will also be at an advantage in being able to provide more food for its young and as a result the probability of the melanistic gene being transferred through the population will be greater.

Black leopards are reported from most densely-forested areas in southwestern China, Myanmar, Assam and Nepal, and parts of southern India and are said to be common in Java and the southern part of the Malay Peninsula. They are less common in tropical Africa, but have been reported from Ethiopia (formerly Abyssinia), from the forests of Mount Kenya and from the Aberdares.

The melanism gene is dominant in jaguars so black jaguars can produce black or spotted cubs, but a pair of spotted jaguars will only produce spotted cubs. This is in contrast to the leopards wherein the mutation is recessive; spotted leopards can produce black cubs if both parents carry the recessive gene. Black leopards always breed true when mated together. In preserved, stuffed specimens, black leopards often fade to a rusty color but black jaguars fade to chocolate brown. The black jaguar was considered a separate species by indigenous peoples.

Black jaguars also have spotted markings, although it can be difficult to see these on their dark coats. These black cas can appear with normal jaguars in mixed litters of cubs. Jaguars love swimming. They are never far from the water and regularly patrol the riverbanks looking for food.

In the hot regions of the jaguar range. the Indians insist that their terrible "black tiger" is not a mere melanic variation of the jaguar. They regard it as wholly distinct, and affirm that it is larger and much more dangerous than the spotted jaguar. They claim to recognize it by its cry and that it does not have an affinity for water as does the spotted variety.

When stripped of its hide, it is found to be anatomically identical to the spotted jaguar. Therefore, scientists classify it with Felis onca, the familiar spotted jaguar.

Glossy black cougars have been reported, unofficially, from Kansas and eastern Nebraska through Kentucky, the Carolinas, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Before 1880, black panthers are said to have roamed in relatively large numbers everywhere between the piney forests of East Texas to Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp and Florida's Everglades.

There are no authenticated cases of truly black cougars. Commonly known as the North American black panther, none has ever been photographed in the wild, none have been reported killed by a gun or run over by a car. There is wide consensus among naturalist and biologists that the animal does not exist. Sightings are currently attributed to errors in species identification by non-experts, and by the exaggeration of size. This does not, however, explain the long historical record of black panther sightings dating from a early as 1749.

News paper reports of black panther sightings include, as examples, the following:

• The Houston Morning Star of November 19, 1844
• The Houston Telegraph and Texas Register of August 20, 1845
• Galveston Tri-Weekly News of October 10, 1872
• The Vicksburg Times, 1874
• Galveston Weekly News of June 1, 1874
• Galveston Weekly News of January 28, 1878
• Galveston Daily News, Mar. 15, 1878
• Beaumont Enterprise of September, 17, 1881
• Galveston Daily News of September 22, 1881
• Galveston Daily News, January 14, 1897

Although this is a much disputed possability and completely dismissed by U.S. officials, I thought it an interesting consideration, therefore have included it here.

The jaguarundi (Felis yagouaroundi) is known to range from South America to Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. And although not widely known by the public, jaguarundis are prime candidates for spawning "black panther" reports.

A large jaguarundi crossing a road in front of a motorist or appearing before an unsuspecting hunter could easily be labeled a "black panther". Since very few people are aware of jaguarundis, it's highly unlikely they would report seeing one. The term "black panther" is quick and easy to report to others.

Jaguarundis are known to range from South America to the Mexican borders of Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. The key word here is "known". That means scientists have observed or captured the species within those areas, however they are reported to range much farther north in the Lone Star State and perhaps elsewhere.

Some have reported that Florida has a resident population of jaguarundis that were imported into that state in the 1940s. Since the cats are so secretive it's difficult to gauge their population status, but it is generally believed to be healthy.

Florida panthers have many different names. Their scientific name is felis concolor coryi. Other names for this animal are cougar, mountain lion, tiger, puma, and catamount.

The Florida panther is a beautiful wild cat that inhabits the regions of the state. It was designated Florida's state land animal by the 1982 state legislature. Most Florida panthers live in the Everglades, which is like a wide, shallow, tall grass-filled, river that flows through the width of south Florida. Some panthers also live just outside the Everglades in parts of Broward, Collier, Hendry, and Lee counties.

The Florida panther is protected by state and federal laws. Long ago, panthers used to be found in Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, and Mississippi. Gradually, as habitat was lost, panthers disappeared from these areas.

In 1994, it was estimated that there were only 30 to 50 Florida panthers left. Besides loss of habitat, modern transportation has endangered the panther. Panthers often get onto the road, where trucks and cars can run over them.

Florida panthers have a tawny, cinnamon, pale brown color. Their stomachs are white, and panthers' noses, tail tips, and places behind their ears are all dark brown or black. Panthers are long and slender, with short legs and ears. They also have small heads, but they carry them high. Panthers' paws have strong, thick pads. One of their distinctive characteristics is a crook at the tip of their tails. An average sized male panther would be about seven feet long, from its nose to its tail. Most male panthers weigh about 120 to 170 pounds, while most females weigh 80 to 120 pounds.

Strong jaws, long teeth, and body are important to the panther for hunting, as are its sharp, retractable claws. Panthers are nocturnal, but hunting at night isn't a big problem. These animals are excellent hunters. They hide in bushes, watching their prey. Suddenly, the panther tears its unfortunate catch into pieces. Panthers will eat almost anything, even each other! They will also eat raccoons, armadillos, rabbits, and even rodents and reptiles. Some of their favorites, however, are feral hogs, deer, and wild turkey.

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