Black Panther

Black Panther

A Panther is a large, powerful, carnivorous mammal, belonging to the family Felidae -a wild cat. They appear similar to leopards, having an unmarked tawny body. Black panthers are exotic, powerful and intelligent animals. They are aggressive and one of the most feared animals in the world. 'Black Panther' is a term used for all kinds of black big cats that have shiny black fur. Black Panther animal information will help us know about their lifestyle and other important details.

Their Appearance: They are described as unspotted leopards with sharp emerald eyes and dark brown hair. They have a long body and neck with a short face, small head and a long tail. The hind limbs are larger than the fore limbs. The paws of a black panther are deadly weapons for prey. They strangle their prey by grabbing it at the throat with their powerful paws and sharp claws. They sometimes kill a smaller prey by slapping its head hard with their paw. This mere action can break the victim's skull.

Their Habitat: Panthers are native of Africa, Asia and America. Black Panther can survive only in natural places that provide a good habitat area for them. Their common habitat is coniferous and tropical forests. They are also found in rainforest, swamps, savannahs, marshland, woodlands and even mountains and deserts. They can also live in places populated by humans, which is uncommon with big cats. The dark coats of black panthers camouflage them at night and also in dense forests. This helps them to avoid dangerous enemies and also to approach their prey without being noticed.

What they eat: They reason why black panthers can live in such a wide variety of habitat is because they can eat many kinds of animals. They eat various kinds of mammals, birds and reptiles. They also catch fishes from the streams with their paws.

Their behavior: Black panthers have a special behavior, which is different from the other big cats. Being members of the big cat family, they can roar. Because the Black Panther is so quiet and cautious, it is called, "the ghost of the forest". Black Panthers are solitary animals. They seldom stay together; other than the female and her cubs, or mating in the breeding season. They live and hunt for themselves. Black panthers are the strongest climbers of the cat family. They develop this skill at a very early age to avoid attacks from deadly enemies. They are so steady animals that they are rarely seen in the wild. A black panther's paw prints or track is the only sight of its presence.

Reproduction: Black panthers mate with light brown colored panthers and also "black panther". (Note: any wild cat with shiny black fur coat is called a "black panther".) Black Panther cubs are born along with other light colored leopard cubs. They are born with their eyes closed. They spend most of their time sleeping and feeding on their mother's rich milk. After about 10 days, they open their eyes to gaze the outside world. The mother panther/leopard has to leave her cubs unattended to hunt for food. This is the time when the cubs are most susceptible to predators. It is crucial that the birth den is located at a safe place. The cubs sometimes follow their mother to the hunting fields and start learning hunting skills, after two or three months from their birth. After completing two years, they become completely independent and establish their own home ranges.

Endangered Species: Although black panthers adjust well to different environments, they are in danger. Their population is in the verge of extinction. Apart from human beings, the changing environment and deforestation are a threat to their existence.