What is the name of a male panther? The black panther is an incredibly beautiful animal. What does a panther eat?

Large predators of the 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.

The genetic characteristic of animals is either a disorder or a form of defense in a harsh environment. Dark coloring often appears in predators that spend a long time in impenetrable forests, where almost no sunlight reaches. 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 afar, the color of the skins of melanistic animals seems 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 still, the calling card of the classic image is the Mephistophelian color. The black color scheme contains shades of blue, gray and purple.

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 panther species conditionally, since the nature of the animal is based on a genetic mutation of four known species of the 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).

Hybrids do not occur in the natural environment due to the different natural habitats of tigers and lions. The birth of kittens of different related species is possible 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 the wild, 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. A dangerous predator has cunning and great strength.

Black panthers are predominantly nocturnal. 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 single existence or in 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 from different countries show a constant 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.

An interesting fact was noticed by fans of the 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 is feminine. 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 by sharp teeth and jerks of the head. 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. The warm climate in the habitat allows breeding 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, there are exceptional cases 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 gain sight and hearing, the female begins to gradually restore her strength and return to her usual life, but continues to care for 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.

Panther genus - Panthera- unites large animals in the cat family, consists of four well-known species: tiger - , a lion Panthera leo, leopard - Panthera pardus and jaguar Panthera onca.

All panthers have a special structure of the larynx that allows them to produce a roar. The fact is that in representatives of the genus the hyoid apparatus is not completely ossified - in place of one of the bones there is a flexible ligament that allows the larynx to swell. Additionally, their vocal cords are undivided and form a tubular structure that functions as a very efficient sound-producing device.

The black panther is not a separate species, but is a genetic variant of the coloration (melanism) of some species of cats - most often, a leopard or a jaguar. The existence of melanistic pumas has not been confirmed. The skin of a black panther is not perfectly black; to a greater or lesser extent, visible spots are always visible on it.

In different parts of their range, lions have developed different physical properties. A South African lion may look different than a Kalahari lion. Therefore, some scientists believe that each isolated population of lions represents its own subspecies.

Other scientists, conducting genetic studies of various populations, have concluded that the genetic makeup of African lions is so similar that they can be recognized as one subspecies. These scientists adhere to a theory that distinguishes only two subspecies: African and Asiatic lions. It should be noted that scientists have also described the following subspecies of lions:

1. Asiatic lion;
2. Angolan or Katangese lion;
3. Berber, North African; or Atlas Lion;
4. Cape Lion;
5. European lion;
6. Sudanese or Nubian lion;
7. Kalahari Lion;
8. Kruger's Lion; or Transvaal;
9. Maasai Lion;
10. Middle Eastern lion;
11. Senegalese or West African lion.

Currently, biologists and zoologists do not have a formal classification of lion subspecies and their external characteristics.

For me, Panther is, first of all, a character from the cartoon "Mowgli". Graceful, powerful, wise Bagheera. So it stuck in my mind.

By the way, in Kipling’s immortal “The Jungle Book,” the black wild cat panther is not a female, but a male named Bagheer (a very common male name in Asian countries). And the creators of the Soviet cartoon endowed their character with such qualities that he became the embodiment of femininity. Intelligence, dexterity, mystery, grace... Just look at the sparkling eyes on a black background! This is probably why the image of a black cat with burning eyes began to symbolize a cunning, dexterous, intelligent, graceful, mysterious woman...

Let's return to our question. Is the panther a black animal? Not necessary! The fact is that the panther is not a separate, independent species of animal. This is a genus of felines that includes the tiger, lion, jaguar and leopard. And dark coat color is the result of an inherited genetic change called melanism. Most often, leopards and jaguars have a black color variant.

In general, the panther is a representative of leopards. They are distinguished because they are distinguished from ordinary leopards by their color and size. That is, they are melanistic animals. And panthers are usually larger and stronger than their spotted relatives.

Panthers (lat. Panthera) are a genus of large animals in the cat family, consisting of four well-known species: tiger (lat. Panthera tigris), lion (lat. Panthera leo), leopard (lat. Panthera pardus) and jaguar (lat. Panthera onca ).

They have a special structure of the larynx that allows them to produce a roar. The fact is that in representatives of the genus the hyoid apparatus is not completely ossified - in place of one of the bones there is a flexible ligament that allows the larynx to swell. Additionally, their vocal cords are undivided and form a tubular structure that functions as a very efficient sound-producing device.

There has been much debate regarding the taxonomy of the panther genus, and its classification has been revised several times. The genus is likely descended from the extinct cat Panthera schaubi, which is sometimes also considered an early member of the puma genus. The panther genus probably originated in Asia. The divergence of big cats (including the extant genera of panthers, snow leopards and clouded leopards - Neofelis) from the subfamily of small cats (Felinae) (containing all other living cat species) took place between six and ten million years ago. A study of fossil remains shows that the panther genus appeared between 2 and 3.8 million years ago.

Morphological and genetic studies suggest that the tiger was the first species of the genus to deviate from the main line. The snow leopard was previously placed at the core of the panther genus, but recent molecular studies suggest its placement within the genus, perhaps even being a close species to the leopard. Therefore, many classification systems place the snow leopard in the panther genus, but there is no consensus regarding such placement (under the name Panthera uncia) or the preservation of its own genus Uncia

Also included in the genus is a prehistoric feline probably closely related to the modern jaguar, Panthera gombaszogensis, often called the European jaguar. This species appeared about 1.6 million years ago in the territory of modern Italy. The genus clouded leopard (Neofelis) is closely related to the genus panther, but is not part of it

The sizes of representatives of the genus are large and very large. The genus includes the largest representative of the entire cat family - the Amur subspecies of the tiger. The body is elongated, sometimes strongly. The sacral region is not high, and the line of the back does not rise from behind, as in small cats, but goes straight. The height at the shoulders (at the withers) is greater than in the sacrum area, while the back line slopes slightly at the rear. The tail is usually long, accounting for at least half the body length, in some species a little more. The head is relatively large or large, somewhat elongated, with an elongated facial part. The ears are small, short, with a rounded top, without a tassel at the end. In male lions, as well as in other species in winter fur, they protrude slightly from the fur. Eyes with a round pupil.

Sometimes the hair on the cheeks is elongated and forms the so-called. tanks, the male lion has a developed mane in the front part of the body, and the tail has a tassel of elongated hair at the end. The legs are short and thick, strong, with a wide paw, especially the front one. The claws on the paws are large, sharp and curved, fully retractable. At the ends of the fingers on the sides of the claw there is a fold of skin that completely hides the retracted claw. The color is one-color or with black transverse stripes, or on the main light background there are black spots - single or rosette-shaped. The dental system is complete. The teeth are very strong, the canines are relatively short but powerful, with a wide base. Sexual dimorphism in most species is expressed in larger sizes of males. The male lion is distinguished by the development of the mane on the front part of the body.

Due to the special structure of the hyoid apparatus, the larynx, together with its vocal cords, are distinguished by great mobility, which makes it possible to produce a loud, rough roar. Incapable of purring.

All representatives of the genus are active predators, hunting mainly large mammals, mainly ungulates. Often the prey exceeds the size of the hunter, sometimes several times. They hunt stealthily and from ambush (on trails, near watering holes). They eat prey primarily while lying on their belly and resting their forearms and elbows on the underlying substrate; pieces of prey are torn off by jerking their heads upward. Mostly active at night, although often active during the day. With the exception of the lion, they are solitary animals. The lion is distinguished by the fact that it always stays and hunts in small packs called prides. They live in both lowland and mountain forests, sometimes in open treeless mountain ranges and reed thickets; one species (lion) is an inhabitant of open steppes, savannas and semi-deserts.

The range of the genus includes Africa, the extreme southeast of Europe, Asia except the northern part, South and Central America and the very south of North America.

Panthers are very graceful and beautiful. They can reach 180 centimeters in length, their tail can be a maximum of 110 centimeters, the average body weight is 35-40 kilograms, and occasionally individuals weighing more than 100 kilograms are found. Panthers live in tropical countries; there are especially many of them on the island of Java.

It is worth noting that panthers can also appear in ordinary leopards, along with cubs that have spots. Panthers also give birth to offspring, which can include both black and spotted kittens (although spotting often wins). Black cats get along well with their spotted relatives: in general, they are no different from each other, except for color. This wonderful world has decreed this in order to give the animals inhabiting it an additional bonus for survival. Scientists put forward the opinion that black individuals still prefer to live separately, and that in the future panthers will finally separate from leopards and a new species will form.

For example, in Malaysia, almost half of the leopards have black coat color. In general, the mutating gene is characteristic of predatory cats living in dense forests, where a ray of light rarely reaches: animals with a black color are less noticeable here, and this makes their life much easier. (Here you can remember why the handsome white lion does not live in the wild).
Among leopards, there are individuals with incomplete melanism: the spots on the skin blur, merging into a fuzzy, bizarre pattern.

Panthers are predatory animals. Their prey is mainly ungulates, the size of which sometimes exceeds the size of the hunters themselves by several times. These cats hunt mainly in the dark, they are less active during the day, but this does not mean that potential prey should not be afraid of them if the sun has not yet disappeared below the horizon.
Panthers are solitary animals. The only exceptions can be considered lions, who live and hunt in packs, prides.

In the philosophical works of the ancient Greeks, the panther symbolized Venus, the warlike goddess of love. The transition of the Panther from the space of ancient myths to the space of Christian culture was marked by a curious metamorphosis: the predator became a meek creature. This was apparently influenced by the fact of her opposition to the serpent.

St. Augustine was attracted by the sacred component of the image of the panther, but its appearance underwent such a deep reworking that it actually set a new perspective, excluding any hint of the pagan past of the Mistress of Beasts. Rejecting Roman and Greek cults, he writes that the panther has the following property: of all animals it is the most amiable and the enemy of the snake, multi-colored, like Joseph’s tunic, and beautiful: silent and very meek. When he has eaten and is satisfied, he sleeps in the den. On the third day he rises from sleep and roars in a loud voice, screaming. From her voice comes every kind of fragrance. Both distant and nearby animals hear her voice. And from her voice comes all kinds of fragrant aromas. And following the fragrance of the panther's voice, the animals come to her. And he interprets it as follows: “So also our Lord Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead on the third day, became a fragrance to those far and near and peace. As the apostle said: “Many-colored is the mental wisdom of our Savior Jesus Christ.”49 And the psalm says: “The queen stood at your right hand in an embroidered robe of gold, dressed and adorned.”* But the enemy of the panther is the apostate serpent that is in the water. Christ is multicolored - he is chastity, abstinence, mercy, faith, virtue, like-mindedness, peace, patience. It is not without meaning that the Scriptures speak about birds and beasts."

Later, in Christian philosophical treatises, the panther and loving predator finally turned into a very calm and meek beast, symbolically even asexual. In the Christian world, the panther was doomed to embody the resurrection of Christ51. The reason for this, as follows from the descriptions, was her beauty and strength.

Both the ancients and the Christians commonly depicted the spotted panther (white with black spots). Moreover, these spots also had certain interpretations based on beliefs.

In the Middle Ages, the panther, already as a Christian symbol, was often used on family coats of arms. In particular, the Panther in heraldry is a symbol of a brave, courageous and noble knight. The leopard (spotted panther) has always been considered the traditional emblem of England, a symbol of the constant desire for freedom.
The panther had great symbolic meaning among many peoples, and not always positive.

So in Ancient Egypt, the Panther was evil incarnate. During funeral rites, Egyptian priests covered themselves with the skins of leopards or panthers to protect themselves from the God of Evil - Set. These animals were an invariable attribute of his images.

In Italy, the Panther is the personification of swagger, but at the same time, the emblem of craft guilds and associations in Medieval Florence. For many peoples of Mesopotamia, the image of a panther covering its muzzle with its paws is a symbol of deception, fraud, for only beautiful fur is shown, and the evil grin is hidden...
In Western Asia and North Africa, the panther serves as a symbol of deceit.

In Sumer, the panther was a symbol of the goddess Inanna, and was also a symbol of the goddess Cybele.

In Ancient China, there was a dual assessment of this animal. On the one hand, due to the fact that the panther was considered an extremely dangerous animal, its tail was mounted on military carts as a field sign. If a beautiful woman was aggressive, she was nicknamed “spotted panther.” Those. one side of the symbolism was: rage, aggressiveness, ferocity. On the other hand, the panther together with the magpie, thanks to a play on words, mean good news in the image.

The winged panther is the emblem of the state of the Medes and Persians, the monarchy of Alexander the Great, called the Great.
In Ancient Mexico, the panther (melanistic jaguar) was the symbolic animal of one of the Aztec military orders (ocelots), as well as the symbol of the 14th of the twenty daily signs of the calendar.
Among the Mayan Indians, the panther (melanistic jaguar) was called “balam”, which was also the title of the priest-foreteller.
In the myths of South American tribes, the panther (melanistic jaguar) is the guardian of the shaman priests.

If a panther is full, it will never attack, even if a defenseless kid is walking in front of its nose. But, if the predator is hungry, it will attack absolutely any prey. That is why it is very dangerous when panthers settle near human habitation. If a predator is hungry for a long time, then it can enter a city or village and attack a sleeping person. Although, attacks on people by panthers are observed much less frequently than, for example, by lions and tigers.

sources
http://odonvv.ru
http://www.bestiary.us

In fact, the word “panther” hides not a separate biological species, but an entire genus of the cat family, which includes such formidable predators as 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, and there are small ears on the top of the head. The panther's eyes are medium-sized with large pupils. The panther also has sharp teeth and powerful jaws.

The panther has fur all over its body and also has a 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, 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 a small family of panthers, but this does not happen often.

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

Panthers are nocturnal, which is greatly facilitated by their black color, thanks to which night hunting is much more preferable for a 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 of the English writer Kipling “Mowgli”. As we remember, the black panther named Bagheera was one of the main positive characters of this book.
• The panther also found its place in heraldry, as it was the emblem of the 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.

Black Panther video

And in conclusion, an interesting documentary video about a black panther/leopard.

Panther (from the Latin Panthera) is a genus of mammals from the large cat family.

This genus includes several extinct species and four living ones, as well as their subspecies:

• Tiger (Latin Panthera tigris)
• Lion (Latin Panthera leo)
• Leopard (Latin Panthera pardus)
• Jaguar (Latin Panthera onca)

Black Panther- this is an animal with a body color of black colors and shades, it is not a separate species of the genus, most often it is or. Black coat color is a manifestation of melanism, that is, a genetic color variant associated with a gene mutation.

A panther is considered to be a jaguar or leopard that has acquired a black color as a result of a gene mutation

The panther does not always have a pronounced black coat; often, if you look closely, the coat is covered with spots of various dark shades, which ultimately creates the visible impression of a black color. Representatives of the genus of these cats are large predators; their weight can exceed 40-50 kg.

The body is oblong (elongated), its size can reach two meters. It moves on four very large and powerful limbs, ending in paws with long, very sharp claws that are completely retracted into the fingers. The height at the withers is slightly higher than at the sacrum and averages 50-70 centimeters.

The head is large and somewhat elongated, with small ears located on the top of the head. The eyes are medium in size with round pupils. Complete dental system with very powerful canines, jaws are very well developed.

Hair all over the body. The tail is quite long, sometimes reaching half the length of the animal itself. Individuals have pronounced sexual dimorphism - males are approximately 20% larger than females in size and weight.

Animal panther has a special structure of the larynx and vocal cords, which allow it to roar, but at the same time this species cannot purr.

Listen to the roar of the black panther

Its habitat is the warm, even hot climate of the southern part of Asia and the entire territory except the North. They live mainly in wooded areas, both on the plains and in the mountains.

Character and lifestyle

Black Panthers They lead an active lifestyle mainly at night, although they are sometimes active during the daytime. Basically, representatives of the genus are solitary animals and only occasionally can live and hunt in pairs.

Like many felines, they are territorial animals, the size of their residence and hunting greatly depends on the landscape of the area and the number of animals (game) living on it, and can vary from 20 to 180 square kilometers.

Thanks to its dark color, the panther is easily camouflaged in the jungle

The black color of the animal helps to camouflage very well in the jungle, and the ability to move not only on the ground, but also through trees makes this animal practically invisible to other animals and humans, which makes it a super predator.

Panthers are one of the most bloodthirsty and dangerous animals on the planet; there are many cases where these animals killed people in their homes, often at night, when a person is sleeping.

In forests, too, often a panther can attack a person, especially if the animal is hungry, and given that panthers are one of the fastest animals on the planet and few can compete with them in running speed, it is almost impossible to escape from them.

The danger, waywardness and aggressive nature of these predators makes them difficult to train and therefore it is almost impossible to see these cats in circuses, but zoological parks around the world are with great pleasure ready to buy such animals as black Panther.

The presence of such a predator among pets attracts a huge number of animal lovers to the zoo. In our country, there are black panthers in the zoos of Ufa, Yekaterinburg, Moscow and St. Petersburg.

An aura of something mythical has always shrouded black panthers. This animal is very unusual and attracts with its originality. It is because of this that man has repeatedly used the black panther in his epic and life, for example, the well-known “Bagheera” from the cartoon “Mowgli” is precisely the black panther, and since 1966 the Americans have been publishing comics with a fictional superhero under this name same name.

The military also uses such a brand as the black panther, for example, the South Koreans developed and produced a tank called “K2 Black Panther,” but everyone probably remembers the German tanks called “Panther” during the Second World War.

In the near future, namely in 2017, the same Americans promise to release a full-length science fiction film called “Black Panther.” Many organizations around the world use in their logos pictures of black panthers.

One of these companies is PUMA, whose logo is a black panther, because scientists have not confirmed that pumas from the cat family are black.

Nutrition

Animal black panther is a carnivorous predator. It hunts both small animals and large ones, several times its size, for example, antelope, and so on.

Given their remarkable ability to move through trees, panthers also find food here, for example in the form of monkeys. Sometimes they attack domestic animals, such as horses and sheep.

They hunt mainly from ambush, creeping up to the prey at a close distance, jumping out sharply and quickly catching up with their future food. Panthers immobilize and kill a hunted animal by biting its neck, and then lying down, with their front paws on the ground, they begin to slowly eat the meat, tearing it away from the victim’s carcass with sharp jerks of the head up and to the side.

The prey that the black panther does not eat is hidden in a tree as a reserve.

Often, in order to preserve food for the future, panthers lift the remains of an animal into trees, where they cannot be reached by predators that live exclusively on the ground. Adults feed their young offspring by dragging the carcass to them, but they never help small panthers tear off meat from a killed animal.

Reproduction and lifespan

Sexual maturity in panthers is reached at 2.5-3 years of age. Due to their constant warm climate, black panthers breed year-round. After fertilization, the female looks for a cozy and safe place to give birth, most often these are burrows, gorges and caves.

Pregnancy lasts about 3-3.5 months. She usually gives birth to one or two, less often three or four, small blind kittens. For ten days after giving birth, the female does not leave her offspring at all, feeding them with milk.

Pictured are black panther cubs

To do this, she first stocks up on food so that during this period she can feed herself or eats food that the male brings. Panthers are very caring towards their offspring, even when the kittens become sighted and can move independently, the mother does not leave them, teaching them everything, including hunting. By the age of one year, the offspring usually leave their mother and begin to live independently. Little kittens are very charming and beautiful.

The average lifespan of a black panther is 10-12 years. Oddly enough, in captivity these unique animals live much longer - up to 20 years. In the wild, after the 8-10th year of life, panthers become inactive, look for easy prey, do not disdain carrion at all, and at this age it becomes very difficult for them to hunt strong, fast and hardy animals.