Black Panther : How much do you know about them?

Black Panther, the beautiful black creature which is mainly to be found in the region of south Asian countries like Nepal, China, southern part of India, Indonesia , Malaysia and some regions of the central parts of South America. According to research and estimates, there are approximately 15,000 to 30,000 black panthers are currently left on the planet. Despite of the low count, these creatures can not be called as endangered species as they are not exactly "species". In actual, they are the variation of the big cats leopards and jaguars which are born with black fur/coat due to genetic mutation.

Black panthers are actually a variation of "Panthera" category which means the category of spotted big cats. These creatures are quite rare in terms of population as well as in terms of appearance in the wild tropical forests. The name "Black Panther" can consists both the spotted big cats, that is leopard and      jaguars. Thus depending upon the specie, a black panther can be called a "Black Leopard"(Panthera Pardus) or a "Black Jaguar"(Panthera Onca).   

Some General statistics about Black Panther

These animals are strong creatures with rounded ear, strong limbs and muscles. As a result, they can leap up to 20 ft to catch their prey are pretty good in climbing also. Also, unlike their leopard counterparts, they are much more compatible with water and are quite good swimmers.

They generally hunt down mammals, reptiles and birds as for the food. Even after being strong and big they can be preyed upon by bigger carnivorous animals like lions or those animals which hunt in large groups such as hyenas or wild dogs. Their lifespan can be anywhere in between 12 to 20 years depending upon which specie (Leopards or Jaguars) they belong to and in which environment they are in (In the wild or in captivity). The adult version of black panthers that are jaguars can weigh in between 100 to 250 pounds (~ 45 to 113 Kg) and can attain a height up to 7 to 9 ft (~ 2.13 to 2.74 meters) from head to tail. The adult version of black panthers that are leopards can weigh up in between 66 to 176 pounds (~ 30 to 80 Kg) and can attain a height up to 7 to 10 ft (~ 2.13 to 3 meters) from head to tail. Also, they can achieve a speed of 71 mph (114 kmph).

Behavior

Black panthers normally hunt during night and stay on the branches of trees or in the shades by the whole day. They are fearless and are quite aggressive in nature. They bite their prey on the neck with their powerful jaws to ultimately choke out the target as their bite force is around 1100 psi. A bite force of 1100 psi is almost 6 times more that of human (~ 162 psi) and around 3 to 4 times more than dogs (~270 to 330 psi). Like most of the other big cats, black panthers also use territories for personl use and generally do not take the intruders lightly. The females may share the area, but as far as males go, they generally do not share their area with anyone. They use their vocals and markings/ scratches in their territory to show thier presence. They use their urine and feces to mark their area and give warnings to the intruders.

Reproduction

After the male and female panthers reaches sexual maturity, the reproductive cycle last about 46 days in which the female is most active (in heat) for 6 to 7 days. The female black panthers reaches sexual maturity in about 18 to 24 months while the male black panthers reaches it in 36 months/ 3 years. The female panther gives birth to 2 to 4 cubs mostly after the gestation period of about 107 days. The cubs are born blind and starts to see in 4 to 9 days after the birth. Panthers are quite smart animals their cubs learn very quickly. 9 months after birth, the cub become capable enough to accompany their mother in hunting down the prey, depending upon the size. Their is only 40 to 50 % chances of survival of the cubs in the first year of birth as they are very vulnerable to other carnivorous and omnivorous animals around them like hyenas, lions, vultures, fox, some other big reptiles like boa, python and anaconda.

Interesting Facts and summary about Black Panthers

• Black Panthers only socialize during mating seasons.

• Black Panthers are Excellent swimmers.

• They are the best tree climbers among the big cats.

• They can jump up to 18-20 ft in the air.

• They are stealthy hunters and most go in a hunt in the night time.

• It's bite force is one of the strongest in the animal kingdom (of about 1100 psi).

• They are not a different species, Instead they are just a variation of other big cats that is, jaguars, leopards and cougars. Their color exists due to genetic mutation. A special gene called the "Agouti gene" is responsible for the mutation which increases the number of melanin cells in their body.

• This mutation occurs in about 6% of the population of jaguars and leopards.

• Black Panthers are less fertile as compared to other big cats and are much more rare, unpredictable and aggressive in nature.

• They have extreme good eyesight and can navigate in the dense jungle even in pitch darkness.

• They are considered to be one of the most vicious predators in South America.

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