In common usage, “panther” most often refers to a “black panther”: a melanistic (black-coated) leopard or jaguar. Melanism is a coat-color variant within these species, not a separate taxonomic entity.
The term ‘panther’ is not always a strict scientific term. While it is used to describe the big cat species which encompass the genus Panthera, it is also used to cover animals with similar characteristics such as certain types of cougar.
Black panther, colloquial term used to refer to large felines classified in the genus Panthera that are characterized by a coat of black fur or large concentrations of black spots set against a dark background. The term black panther is most frequently applied to black-coated leopards and jaguars.
Black Panther is a widely used term, often used to regard several variations of the Felidae family with black fur coats. However, the black panther is not a distinct species of big cat, but rather a color variant of the spotted leopards and the jaguars.
Etymology The word panther derives from Classical Latin panthēra, itself from the Ancient Greek pánthēr (πάνθηρ). [5]
Explore our panther facts and discover what type of big cats these famous felines are. Learn also about their fame, adaptations, and more!
Why the large gap? 120 is the number of visually confirmed adult individuals. 230 is the largest number of adult individual panthers possible based on telemetry of panther tracks and how far a panther can travel in a day.
Since the panther itself is not a distinct species, and the word “panther” is used in various circumstances, it is not surprising that most people have some of their panther facts mixed up!