black panther
What is a black panther?
What causes the black coat coloration in leopards and jaguars?
How common are melanistic leopards and jaguars?
black panther, informal term used to refer primarily to melanistic leopards (Panthera pardus) and jaguars (P. onca) that are characterized by a coat of black fur that stem from increased dark pigmentation. Black panthers do not belong to a separate species, and the word panther is a vernacular term that carries no formal taxonomic significance.
Although the term black panther is applied loosely to other melanistic felines, it is most frequently used in conjunction with black-coated leopards (Panthera pardus) of Africa and Asia and jaguars (P. onca) of Central and South America; black-furred variants of these species are also called black leopards and black jaguars, respectively. In addition, the term is sometimes used to describe dark-coloured bobcats, lynx, jaguarundis, tigers, and pumas (cougars), even though reports of black-colored representatives of some species, such as the puma, have not been confirmed.
Genetic expression
Black coat coloration is attributed to the expression of recessive alleles in the ASIP (agouti signaling protein) gene in leopards and a dominant allele in the MC1R gene in jaguars (see also dominance). In each species, a certain combination of alleles stimulates the production of large amounts of the pigment melanin—specifically eumelanin (which is the pigment responsible for black and brown coloration)—in the animal’s fur and skin. Although melanin concentrations often vary between members of the same litter, individuals displaying completely black coats are rare.
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Light and appearance
The appearance of a black coat may be influenced by other factors, such as the angle of incident light and the animal’s life stage. For example, some melanistic leopards and jaguars display totally black coats, because the finer details of their fur may be masked by diffuse light. In full sunlight, however, the faint spotted pattern (sometimes referred to as ghost rosettes) of the coat may emerge. In other species, such as lynx (Lynx), the appearance of black or near-black patches of fur might also be explained by seasonal colour changes.
Frequency in populations
Worldwide, melanistic leopards and jaguars are uncommon. Some studies estimate that roughly 11 percent of leopards have this coloration on average. However, the frequency of melanistic leopards varies across regional populations, with one study noting that in wet forests of Southeast Asia this frequency could be as high as 55 percent. Confirmed sightings, however, are less frequent, and confirmed sightings of black leopards, especially in Africa, are rare events. Camera-trap photographs of a melanistic leopard in Kenya attracted international attention in 2019 because black leopards are exceptionally rare in Africa, although melanistic individuals had previously been documented on the continent.