What is the name of the 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 a person. The history of the name goes back to Latin, Greek, 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. The dark color is more often manifested in predators that have been in impenetrable forests for a long time, where almost no sunlight falls. In dense thickets, the night-colored hide helps to survive.

The 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 corresponding black color of the animal.

Panther is not a separate species, but a genus of cats that has a genetic change in color

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

In addition to color, other individuals of the genus are no different from relatives. Crossing gives multicolor offspring: chocolate, red, spotted, less often black. This is explained by the laws of genetics, according to which the recessive gene for blackness is often suppressed by others.

In numerous photographs of black panthers, you can most often see

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

Interestingly, the name "panther" is applied to other felines with a reddish, even white skin. But still, the calling card of the classic image is the Mephistopheles color. In the black scale there are tints of blue, gray and purple colors.

Black panther is an animal big size. Body length - up to 2 meters, height - about 70 cm, weight - 50-60 kg. The elongated body of the predator is flexible, taut, graceful. Strong paws, large claws on the fingers, which the beast retracts like a domestic one.

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

The head of the animal is large, slightly elongated. Ears and eyes are small. The look of a real predator, piercing and cold. Powerful jaws, sharp teeth complete 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, majesty, strength, willfulness of character have always caused a special worship of a person to an elegant and ferocious animal. The speed of the running panther reaches 80 km / h, the height in the jump is up to 6 meters.

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

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

Kinds

It is possible to speak about the types of panthers 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.

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

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

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

• tigon - a hybrid of a lioness (panther) and a tiger;
• liger - 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 the natural environment, hybrids are not found due to the different natural ranges 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 pope prevail in the form of kittens. To date, ligers are the largest cats, whose growth reaches 4 meters, weight - more than 300 kg. It is almost impossible to get offspring from them.

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

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

Lifestyle and habitat

The geographic range of panthers is wide. Numerous populations are found in Asia, South, in the African expanses. 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 the tropical 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 if they are not hungry and do not need self-defense. A dangerous predator has cunning and great strength.

Black panthers are predominantly nocturnal. Color gives them a significant advantage in hunting. They move silently, smoothly, excellent sense of smell allows you to easily detect prey.

During the day, after long walks in the dense forest, panthers sleep for a long time among the branches. For recreation, they find places in dense thickets at a height of 4-5 meters.

The nature of animals is distinguished by waywardness, stamina, determination. Attempts to make the beast domestic, tame inevitably ended in failure. Therefore, it is very rare to see black panthers at circus performances.

They are practically not amenable to training. The only attraction with panthers in Europe is run by Maritsa Zapashnaya. The unpredictability of animals is always associated with great risk in working with them.

These are individualists in their warehouse, preferring a solitary existence or in married couples. Creating a pride like lions is a rare exception. Each individual or pair has its own territory, the borders of which cannot be violated by relatives.

Panthers are considered perhaps the most bloodthirsty predators among other feline representatives. A hungry animal does not choose a victim, it rushes to all living things. Panthers have no fear of anyone. A 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, the secrets of their inhabitants attract people who make panthers the symbols of various cultures. It is no coincidence that the image of Panther Bagheera based on Kipling's book "Mowgli" was widely known.

An interesting fact was noticed by fans of the English writer. The fairy tale actually shows male black panther Baghir. But in the process of translation, the gender of the character was changed, since the word panther is feminine. In addition, the grace, grace, 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: buffaloes, antelopes, zebras. The theft of domestic sheep, cows, pigs that are left without human supervision is a common thing. Hungry animals are content with monkeys, game, eggs from nests, they can even feast on the fruits of garden trees.

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

At a height, food is inaccessible to earthly competitors - hyenas, jackals and other predators.

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

The hungry beast will stop at nothing. In cannibalism, the panther is seen, but to a lesser extent than tigers or lions.

Reproduction and lifespan

Kittens of the family reach puberty by 2-3 years. The warm climate in the habitat allows breeding all year round. After mating, the female is looking for a deaf safe place for childbirth. Most often, this is a hole between the roots of trees, a secluded place in a cave, a large hollow. The duration of pregnancy is 3-3.5 months.

There are usually two kittens in a litter, one is much less common, there are exceptional cases of the appearance of 4-5 babies. Kittens are born blind. Panther is a caring mother. For the first time, she does not let anyone in to the heirs, she herself does not go anywhere.

Black kittens can be born in habitual spotted animals, but then panthers interbreed with each other

Up to 10 days, the female is occupied only by babies. She warms them, licks them, feeds them. No one dares to approach the mother's lair. Kittens feed on milk, the father of the family takes care of the female, brings her food.

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

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

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

Under 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, a decrease in the vital activity of animals occurs.

The search for easy victims, feeding on carrion replaces hunting for large and strong animals. Forces are 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 under the condition of the same ancestors. As a rule, targeted breeding of feline predators is carried out in nurseries.

Nature creates real panther beauties not so often. The influence of man on the maintenance of such a miracle is very palpable. As in mythology, so in life, strength and beauty win.

Panther clan - 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, which allows them to roar. The fact is that in representatives of the genus, the hyoid apparatus is not completely ossified - in place of one of the bones, it contains a flexible ligament that allows the larynx to swell. In addition, 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 cat species - most often, it is a leopard or jaguar. The existence of cougar melanists has not been confirmed. The skin of a black panther is not perfectly black, it always shows visible spots to a greater or lesser extent.

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

Other scientists, conducting genetic studies of various populations, have come to the conclusion that the genetic sets of African lions are so close that they can be recognized as one subspecies. These scientists adhere to the 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 the Lion of Atlas;
4. Cape Lion;
5. European lion;
6. Sudanese, or Nubian lion;
7. Lion Kalahari;
8. Lion Kruger; or Transvaal;
9. Lion Masai;
10. Middle Eastern lion;
11. Senegalese, or West African lion.

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

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

By the way, in the immortal "Jungle Book" by Kipling, 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. Mind, dexterity, mystery, grace ... What are only one sparkling eyes on a black background! Perhaps that is why the image of a black cat with burning eyes began to symbolize an insidious, 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 cats, which includes the tiger, lion, jaguar and leopard. And the dark coat color is the result of hereditary genetic changes called melanism. Most often, leopards and jaguars have a black version of the color.

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

Panthers (lat. Panthera) - a genus of large animals in the cat family, consists 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, which allows them to make 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, it contains a flexible ligament that allows the larynx to swell. In addition, their vocal cords are undivided and form a tubular structure that functions as a very efficient sound-producing device.

The taxonomy of the genus Panthera has been the subject of much debate, and its classification has been revised several times. The genus probably descended from the extinct cat Panthera schaubi, which is sometimes also considered an early member of the cougar genus. The genus of panthers probably originated in Asia. The divergence of big cats (including the extant genera panthers, snow leopard and clouded leopard - Neofelis) from the subfamily of small cats (Felinae) (containing all other modern cat species) took place between six and ten million years ago. The study of fossil remains shows that the genus of panthers appeared in the range from 2 to 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 base 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 genus Panthera, but there is no consensus on 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, which is often called the European jaguar. This species appeared about 1.6 million years ago in what is now Italy. The genus clouded leopard (Neofelis) is closely related to the panther genus, but is not part of it.

The sizes of representatives of the genus are large and very large. The largest representative of the entire cat family, the Amur subspecies of the tiger, belongs to the genus. The body is elongated, sometimes strongly. The sacral region is not high, and the line of the back does not rise behind, as in small cats, but goes straight. The height at the shoulders (at the withers) is greater than at the sacrum, while the line of the back slopes slightly behind. The tail is usually long, accounting for at least half the length of the body, 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 brush 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 lion in the front of the body of the males has a developed mane, and the tail has a brush of elongated hair at the end. The legs are low and thick, strong, with a wide paw, especially the front. 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 skin fold that completely hides the retracted claw. The coloration 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 fangs are relatively short, but powerful, with a wide main part. Sexual dimorphism in most species is expressed in larger sizes of males. In a lion, the male is distinguished by the development of a mane on the front of the body.

Due to the special structure of the hyoid apparatus, the larynx, together with its vocal cords, is characterized by great mobility, which makes it possible to emit a loud, rough roar. They are unable to purr.

All representatives of the genus are active predators, preying mainly on large mammals, mainly ungulates. Often prey exceeds the size of the hunter, sometimes several times. They hunt stealthily and from ambush (on trails, at watering places). They eat prey mainly lying on their belly and leaning their forearms and elbows on the underlying substrate, pieces of prey are torn off by a jerk of the head upwards. They are predominantly active at night, although they are 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 keeps and hunts in small packs called prides. They live both in lowland and mountain forests, sometimes in open treeless mountain ranges, reed beds, one species (lion) is an inhabitant of open steppes, savannahs and semi-deserts.

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

Panthers are very graceful and beautiful. In length, they can reach 180 centimeters, their tail can be a maximum of 110 centimeters, the average body weight is 35-40 kilograms, occasionally there are individuals weighing more than 100 kilograms. Panthers live in tropical countries, they are especially numerous 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 produce offspring, which can include both black and spotted kittens (although spotted often wins). Black cats get along well with their spotted relatives: in general, they do not differ from each other in any way, except for the color. This wonderful world ordered this to give the animals that inhabit 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 a black coat color. In general, the mutating gene is typical for predatory cats living in dense forests, where a ray of light rarely hits: animals with a black color are less noticeable here, and this makes life very easy for them. (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, during the day they are less active, but this does not mean that the potential victim should not be afraid of them if the sun has not yet disappeared over the horizon.
Panthers are solitary animals. An exception can be considered only lions that live and hunt in packs, prides.

In the philosophical writings of the ancient Greeks, the panther symbolized Venus, the militant goddess of love. Panther's transition from the space of ancient myths to the space of Christian culture was marked by a curious metamorphosis: the predator became a meek creature. Apparently, the fact of her opposition to the serpent influenced this.

St. Augustine was attracted by the sacred component of the image of the panther, but its appearance was subjected to such a deep processing that it actually set a new perspective, excluding any hint of the pagan past of the Mistress of the Beasts. Rejecting the Roman and Greek cults, he writes that the panther has the following property: of all animals, it is the most kind and enemy of the snake, multi-colored, like Joseph's tunic, and beautiful: silent and very meek. When he eats and is full, he sleeps in the lair. On the third day he rises from sleep and roars with a loud voice, screaming. From her voice comes all the fragrance of aromas. And distant and near animals hear her voice. And from her voice comes all the fragrance of aromas. And following the fragrance of the panther's voice, the animals come to her. And he interprets it as follows: “So our Lord Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead on the third day, became a fragrance for those near and far, and peace. As the apostle said: "The mental wisdom of our Savior Jesus Christ is many-colored"49. And the psalm says: "The queen stood at your right hand in an embroidered golden robe, dressed up, decorated" *. But the enemy of the panther is the renegade snake 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 of birds and beasts.

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

Both the ancients and the Christians usually depicted a spotted panther (white with black spots). At the same time, these spots also had certain interpretations based on beliefs.

In the Middle Ages, the panther, as a Christian symbol, was often used on family coats of arms. In particular, 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.
Panther had a great symbolic meaning among many peoples, and not always positive.

So in ancient Egypt, the Panther is evil incarnate. Egyptian priests during funeral rites threw on 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, Panther is the personification of swagger, but at the same time - the emblem of craft shops 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 deceit, fraud, because only beautiful fur is shown, and the evil grin is hidden...
In Western Asia and North Africa, the panther is 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 hoisted on war carts as a field sign. If a beautiful woman was aggressive, then she was called the nickname "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 a symbolic animal of one of the Aztec military orders (ocelots), as well as a symbol of the 14th of the twenty daily signs of the calendar.
Among the Mayan Indians, the panther (jaguar-melanist) was called "balam", which was also the title of the priest-predictor.
In the myths of the South American tribes, the panther (melanistic jaguar) is the guardian of shaman priests.

If the panther is full, it will never attack, even if a defenseless goat walks in front of its nose. But, if the predator is hungry, he 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 seen much less frequently than, for example, by lions and tigers.

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

In fact, the word "panther" does not hide a separate biological species, but a whole genus of the cat family, which includes such formidable predators as a lion, jaguar and leopard. As for the well-known black panther, it is usually a leopard or jaguar, which has the corresponding black color.

Why is the panther black?

The black color of the panther is caused by specific mutations in the animal's genes known as melanism. Such a mutation is very common among predatory felines, for example, in Malaysia, about half of all leopards there are black in color due to melanism and, in fact, are black panthers.

The black color of these animals often also has practical significance (after all, nature is always wise in its actions), so especially many black panthers live in dense forests, where, with a lack of lighting, dark animals are less noticeable, which greatly facilitates their life.

Panther: description, structure, characteristics. What does a panther look like?

The hallmark of any panther is its signature black color. Although if you look at the panther more closely, you will notice that its coat 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 elongated 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 about the same as that of the kindest feline representative - domestic).

The head of the panther is very large, somewhat elongated, on the top of the head there are small ears. The eyes of a panther are medium in size with large pupils. The panther also has sharp teeth and powerful jaws.

Panther hair is all over the body, there is also 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, many of them live 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, where they are actually black jaguars, when in Asia they are black leopards.

What does a panther eat

All panthers are ferocious and dangerous predators, and one of the most dangerous among the cat family. If the panther is hungry, then it can easily attack any nearby game, including humans. But most often, various herbivores get to the panther for lunch: zebras, buffaloes, antelopes. Sometimes a panther is not averse to having a bite and. Domestic animals: cows, sheep, also found themselves unattended in the jungle, have a high chance of becoming food for panthers.

Panthers always go hunting at night, at night, due to their black color, they become almost invisible, which makes it possible for them to watch for potential prey without any problems.

Panther lifestyle

Panthers, like true felines, are true individualists, preferring to live alone or in male and female pairs. Occasionally they can also 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 largely due to their black color, due to which night hunting for a panther is much more preferable than chasing game during the day.

How long does a panther live

The life span of a panther, like that of many other members 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 at 2-3 years of age. And since they live in a constantly warm climate, they can breed all year round. The male, having found a suitable female, enters into a sexual relationship with her. Having become pregnant, the female looks for a safe and cozy place for childbirth.

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 quite a kitten), like the children of an ordinary cat, at first they are blind, and only then their eyes are cut through. Mom panther at first does not leave her children, feeding them milk, while dad, as a real earner, 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, hunt and other tricks of their animal life. When the panther reaches a year, it already becomes a fully grown animal and ready for independent life.

• The panther gained great popularity in popular culture thanks to the book by the English writer Kipling "Mowgli", as we remember, a black panther named Bagheera was one of the main positive characters of this book.
• The panther 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 finally, an interesting documentary video about a black panther / leopard.

Panthera (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 a beast with a body color of black colors and shades, it is not a separate species of the genus, most often it is or. The black color of the coat is a manifestation of melanism, that is, a genetic color variant associated with a gene mutation.

A panther is a jaguar or leopard that has received a black color as a result of a gene mutation

The panther does not always have a pronounced black color of the 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 torso of the body is oblong (elongated), its size can reach two meters. Moves on four very large and powerful limbs, ending in paws with long, very sharp claws that are fully 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; ears of small size are located on the top of the head. The eyes are medium in size with round pupils. Complete dentition with very powerful fangs, jaws very well developed.

Hairline 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 larger than females by about 20% in size and weight.

animal panther has a special structure of the larynx and vocal cords, which allow it to roar, at the same time, this genus does not know how to purr.

Hear the black panther roar

The habitat is a warm, even hot climate, in the southern part of Asia and throughout the territory, except for 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 cats are territorial animals, the size of their living and hunting is highly dependent on the landscape of the area and the number of animals (game) inhabited on it, and can vary from 20 to 180 square kilometers.

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

The black color of the animal helps to disguise itself very well in the jungle, and the ability to move not only on the ground, but also through the trees makes this animal almost 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 when these animals killed people in their homes, more often at night when a person is sleeping.

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

The danger, capriciousness and aggressiveness of the 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 ready to buy such animals with great pleasure. black Panther.

Being among the pets of such a predator 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.

The halo of something mythical has always enveloped the black panthers. This animal is very unusual and attracts with its originality. It is because of this that a person has used the black panther more than once in his epic and life, for example, the well-known "Bagheera" from the cartoon "Mowgli" is just the black panther, and since 1966 Americans have been releasing comics with a fictional superhero under such same name.

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

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

One such company is PUMA, whose logo is a black panther, because scientists have not confirmed that cougars from the cat family are black in color.

Nutrition

Animal black panther is a carnivorous predator. It hunts both small animals and large ones, several times larger than it in size, for example, antelopes, and so on.

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

They hunt mainly from ambush, sneaking up to the victim at close range, abruptly jumping out and quickly catching up with their future food. The panthers immobilize and kill the hunted animal, biting through its neck, and then lying down, leaning their front paws on the ground, they slowly begin to eat meat, tearing it off the carcass of the victim with sharp jerks of the head up and to the side.

Prey that the black panther does not finish eating, hides on a tree in reserve

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

Reproduction and lifespan

Sexual maturity in panthers is reached by 2.5-3 years of age. Due to their constant warm climate, black panthers breed all year round. After fertilization, the female looks for a cozy and safe place for childbirth, 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 wean at all from her offspring, feeding him with milk.

Pictured are black panther cubs

To do this, she pre-stocks food in order to eat herself during this period or eat 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, the offspring usually leave their mother and begin to live on their own. Little kittens are very charming and beautiful.

The average lifespan of a black panther is 10-12 years. Oddly enough, but 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, at this age it becomes very difficult for them to hunt strong, fast and hardy animals.