There is no such species as "black panther"
Over the years, hundreds of eyewitnesses hundreds of eyewitness have reported seeing large, black, long-tailed cats frequently called “black panthers” in the southern United States.
I have personally been gathering big cat reports in the region (mainly Texas and Louisiana) since 1992 and roughly 30 percent of the reports fall into this category.
There are a couple of problems associated with this phenomenon and one of them is there is no such species as a “black panther”.
All of the black cats you see on television in circuses and zoos are either black leopards or jaguars. Both species frequently throw melanistic or black offspring. Of the two species, jaguars are native to Texas while leopards are a cat of the Old World.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, the jaguar’s coat color ranges from pale yellow to reddish brown, with a much paler (often white) underbelly.
“It has spots on the neck, body and limbs that form rosettes, which contain black markings within them. On the head and under parts, the spots are simple black dots. Black jaguars are not uncommon, and even they possess darker rosette markings that are visible in bright light. Compared to a leopard, the jaguar is stocky and more powerfully built. The square jaw and prominent cheeks, along with robust, muscular limbs give evidence of immense strength.”
The author stares down a black jaguar at the Texas Zoo in Victoria. Photo by Lisa Moore
As the Cat Haven group notes in their profile of the jaguar, "The term 'Black Panther' is commonly use for those cats because their coat appear to look black but this is not the correct terminology for two reasons. First, both the jaguar and the leopard can appear to look black but the coat is actually dark brown and has black rosettes (spots) like the yellow version."
If you see a black jaguar (or leopard) in person, the spots are easily visible at a close range, especially in good light. However, at a distance the animal appears solid black.
Could the reports of “black panthers” be the result of jaguars?
While native to my home state of Texas there is verified population here although there probably are some crossing into Texas along the Mexican border in the Trans Pecos region. Both New Mexico and Arizona wildlife and border officials have captured photos of jaguars entering their states in recent years. None of them however was black.
I do not totally rule out some of these sightings as being black jaguars as in nature pretty much anything can happen but there are other candidates for the sightings.
The jaguarundi although not widely known by the public, is a prime candidate for spawning "black panther" reports.
They are a medium-sized cat with a mean body size of 102 centimeters for females and 114 for males according to Mexican researcher Arturo Caso. Other sources list them as ranging from 100 to 120 centimeters with the tail making up the greatest part of the length.
Most specimens are about 20 centimeters tall and sport a dark gray color while others are chocolate brown or blonde.
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 is highly unlikely they would report seeing one. The term "black panther" is quick and easy to report to others.
Everyone can relate to a "black panther".
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.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) officials solicited information from the public and received numerous reports of the species in the 1960s, including several sightings from central and east Texas. Additional sightings were reported from as far away as Florida, Oklahoma, and Colorado
In a study conducted in 1984, TPWD biologists noted a string of unconfirmed jaguarundi sightings in Brazoria County, which corners the hugely populated areas of both Houston and Galveston. Brazoria County is more than 200 miles north of the counties of Cameron and Willacy, which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has, designated as being the only confirmed areas of Texas that houses jaguarundis.
Another possibility for these sightings is cougars. While there has never been a confirmed case of a black cougar in the history of all of the ones kept in zoos, wildlife sanctuaries and taken by hunters it is possible melanistic specimens exist.
It is also possible dark brown colored cougars seen in low light conditions could account for some of these reports. Cougars are present throughout Texas and have been verified via game camera photos in many states once thought devoid of the species.
Other possibilities for “black panther” sightings are cases of mistaken identity with dogs at great distances and even bobcats, which have been verified to spawn black specimens from time to time. In fact, there is a mounted specimen on display at the Gander Mountain store in Beaumont near the gun section.Still though there are some reports that are just too detailed and that come from very reliable sources that cannot be ignored. People are seeing large dark-colored cats out there but the question is what are they?
I hope that the presence of game cameras in the woods will give us an answer soon.
(If you have game camera photos of any cat species you cannot identify, cougars, jaguarundi or jaguars e-mail them to cmoore@fishgame.com along with general location (county) and anything else you would like to share.)
To subscribe to this blog, scroll down on the left side of the page and click "subscribe".
I have personally been gathering big cat reports in the region (mainly Texas and Louisiana) since 1992 and roughly 30 percent of the reports fall into this category.
There are a couple of problems associated with this phenomenon and one of them is there is no such species as a “black panther”.
All of the black cats you see on television in circuses and zoos are either black leopards or jaguars. Both species frequently throw melanistic or black offspring. Of the two species, jaguars are native to Texas while leopards are a cat of the Old World.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, the jaguar’s coat color ranges from pale yellow to reddish brown, with a much paler (often white) underbelly.
“It has spots on the neck, body and limbs that form rosettes, which contain black markings within them. On the head and under parts, the spots are simple black dots. Black jaguars are not uncommon, and even they possess darker rosette markings that are visible in bright light. Compared to a leopard, the jaguar is stocky and more powerfully built. The square jaw and prominent cheeks, along with robust, muscular limbs give evidence of immense strength.”
The author stares down a black jaguar at the Texas Zoo in Victoria. Photo by Lisa Moore
As the Cat Haven group notes in their profile of the jaguar, "The term 'Black Panther' is commonly use for those cats because their coat appear to look black but this is not the correct terminology for two reasons. First, both the jaguar and the leopard can appear to look black but the coat is actually dark brown and has black rosettes (spots) like the yellow version."
If you see a black jaguar (or leopard) in person, the spots are easily visible at a close range, especially in good light. However, at a distance the animal appears solid black.
Could the reports of “black panthers” be the result of jaguars?
While native to my home state of Texas there is verified population here although there probably are some crossing into Texas along the Mexican border in the Trans Pecos region. Both New Mexico and Arizona wildlife and border officials have captured photos of jaguars entering their states in recent years. None of them however was black.
I do not totally rule out some of these sightings as being black jaguars as in nature pretty much anything can happen but there are other candidates for the sightings.
The jaguarundi although not widely known by the public, is a prime candidate for spawning "black panther" reports.
They are a medium-sized cat with a mean body size of 102 centimeters for females and 114 for males according to Mexican researcher Arturo Caso. Other sources list them as ranging from 100 to 120 centimeters with the tail making up the greatest part of the length.
Most specimens are about 20 centimeters tall and sport a dark gray color while others are chocolate brown or blonde.
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 is highly unlikely they would report seeing one. The term "black panther" is quick and easy to report to others.
Everyone can relate to a "black panther".
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.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) officials solicited information from the public and received numerous reports of the species in the 1960s, including several sightings from central and east Texas. Additional sightings were reported from as far away as Florida, Oklahoma, and Colorado
In a study conducted in 1984, TPWD biologists noted a string of unconfirmed jaguarundi sightings in Brazoria County, which corners the hugely populated areas of both Houston and Galveston. Brazoria County is more than 200 miles north of the counties of Cameron and Willacy, which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has, designated as being the only confirmed areas of Texas that houses jaguarundis.
Another possibility for these sightings is cougars. While there has never been a confirmed case of a black cougar in the history of all of the ones kept in zoos, wildlife sanctuaries and taken by hunters it is possible melanistic specimens exist.
It is also possible dark brown colored cougars seen in low light conditions could account for some of these reports. Cougars are present throughout Texas and have been verified via game camera photos in many states once thought devoid of the species.
Other possibilities for “black panther” sightings are cases of mistaken identity with dogs at great distances and even bobcats, which have been verified to spawn black specimens from time to time. In fact, there is a mounted specimen on display at the Gander Mountain store in Beaumont near the gun section.Still though there are some reports that are just too detailed and that come from very reliable sources that cannot be ignored. People are seeing large dark-colored cats out there but the question is what are they?
I hope that the presence of game cameras in the woods will give us an answer soon.
(If you have game camera photos of any cat species you cannot identify, cougars, jaguarundi or jaguars e-mail them to cmoore@fishgame.com along with general location (county) and anything else you would like to share.)
To subscribe to this blog, scroll down on the left side of the page and click "subscribe".
Great article Chester...I enjoy reading your interesting informative articles...
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Chester,
As someone who has seen one numerous times, tracked them, been scared silly by them, I can tell you a few things about them. I saw one female over a dozen times as her den was nearby my home. She was very large, up to 200lbs, bigger than a cougar, with a larger head, and jet black. She had cubs which I never saw but found fresh tracks often outside her den. She came out about 1 hour after dusk to go deer hunting and I found the remains of several kills. This den had been used for over 30 years as my grandparents also saw them and tracked them there. I had her in my rifle sights several times at very close range, less than 100 feet. She would upset my dogs and I was afraid they would get into it, but she would always snarl and throw a fit, then go around. I could never find a reason to kill such a beautiful animal, and it didn't bother me or the cattle. I have gotten a very very good look at her.
These animals exist but what it is I have no idea. The one I saw was much larger, more muscles, and a bigger head than a cougar.
Unfortunately, the den where my cat lived was destroyed. It was an old log cabin that was falling down and it was burned. The cabin sat on a stone foundation and that was where the cat lived.
MC
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The muscular description and size fits into a jaguar profile. Thanks for the great info.
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