panthers
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duckkiller
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hottytoddy
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The black panther is the common name for a black specimen (a melanistic variant) of any of several species of cats. Zoologically speaking, the term panther is synonymous with leopard. The genus name Panthera is a taxonomic category that contains all the species of a particular group of felids. In North America, the term panther is commonly used for the cougar; in Latin America it is most often used to mean a jaguar. Elsewhere in the world it refers to the leopard (originally individual animals with longer tails were deemed panthers and others were leopards; it is a common misconception that the term panther necessarily refers to a melanistic individual).
[edit] Reported black cougars in the United States
In Florida, a few melanistic bobcats exist. They have been caught, and have also apparently been mistaken for panthers. Ulmer (1941) presents photographs and descriptions of two animals captured in Martin County in 1939 and 1940. In the photographs, they appear black, and one of the hunters called them black. However,
The Academy specimen, upon close examination, is far from black. The most heavily pigmented portions are the crown and dorsal area. In most lights these areas appear black, but at certain angles the dorsal strip has a decidedly mahogany tint. The mahogany coloring becomes lighter and richer on the sides. The underparts are lightest, being almost ferruginous in color. The chin, throat and cheeks are dark chocolate-brown, but the facial stripes can be seen clearly. The limbs are dark mahogany. In certain lights the typical spot-pattern of the Florida bobcat can be distinctly seen on the side, underparts and limbs. The Bronx Park animal appears darker and the spots are not visible, although the poor light in the quarantine cage may have been the reason.[1]
Adult male bobcats are between 28 to 47" long (with a a short bobbed tail), and are between 18 to 24" high at shoulder height. (Females are slightly smaller.) Florida cougars are between 23 to 32" at shoulder height, and between 5 to 7 ft including tail. Bobcats weight between 16 to 30 pounds, whereas Florida cougars are between 50 to 154 pounds.
Another explanation for black cougar sightings is the jaguarundi, a cat very similar genetically to the cougar, which grows to around 65 cm (30 inches) with 45 cm (20 in) of tail. Their coat goes through a reddish-brown phase and a dark grey phase. While their acknowledged natural range ends in southern Texas, a small breeding population was introduced to Florida in the 1940s, and there are rumors of people breeding them as pets there as well – in Central America they are known as relatively docile pets, as far as non-domesticated animals go. Jaguarundis hunting territory can extend to 100 km wide for males, and it's quite possible that very small populations which rarely venture out of deep forests are responsible for many or most of the sightings. While they are significantly smaller than a cougar, differently colored, and much lower to the ground (many note a resemblance to the weasel), a little memory bias combined with their secretive nature could explain many of the sightings in the southeastern U.S.
Another possibility are black jaguars, who are believed to have ranged North America in historical memory. Melanistic jaguars aren't common in nature, and more importantly, jaguars themselves were hunted to near extinction in the '60s. However, while they do not look exactly like cougars, they have the requisite size, and it's conceivable that there could be, for example, a breeding population hidden in the Louisiana bayou. The Jaguar has had several photographically confirmed and many unconfirmed sightings in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and southwest Texas, but not outside that region.
[edit] Reported black cougars in the United States
In Florida, a few melanistic bobcats exist. They have been caught, and have also apparently been mistaken for panthers. Ulmer (1941) presents photographs and descriptions of two animals captured in Martin County in 1939 and 1940. In the photographs, they appear black, and one of the hunters called them black. However,
The Academy specimen, upon close examination, is far from black. The most heavily pigmented portions are the crown and dorsal area. In most lights these areas appear black, but at certain angles the dorsal strip has a decidedly mahogany tint. The mahogany coloring becomes lighter and richer on the sides. The underparts are lightest, being almost ferruginous in color. The chin, throat and cheeks are dark chocolate-brown, but the facial stripes can be seen clearly. The limbs are dark mahogany. In certain lights the typical spot-pattern of the Florida bobcat can be distinctly seen on the side, underparts and limbs. The Bronx Park animal appears darker and the spots are not visible, although the poor light in the quarantine cage may have been the reason.[1]
Adult male bobcats are between 28 to 47" long (with a a short bobbed tail), and are between 18 to 24" high at shoulder height. (Females are slightly smaller.) Florida cougars are between 23 to 32" at shoulder height, and between 5 to 7 ft including tail. Bobcats weight between 16 to 30 pounds, whereas Florida cougars are between 50 to 154 pounds.
Another explanation for black cougar sightings is the jaguarundi, a cat very similar genetically to the cougar, which grows to around 65 cm (30 inches) with 45 cm (20 in) of tail. Their coat goes through a reddish-brown phase and a dark grey phase. While their acknowledged natural range ends in southern Texas, a small breeding population was introduced to Florida in the 1940s, and there are rumors of people breeding them as pets there as well – in Central America they are known as relatively docile pets, as far as non-domesticated animals go. Jaguarundis hunting territory can extend to 100 km wide for males, and it's quite possible that very small populations which rarely venture out of deep forests are responsible for many or most of the sightings. While they are significantly smaller than a cougar, differently colored, and much lower to the ground (many note a resemblance to the weasel), a little memory bias combined with their secretive nature could explain many of the sightings in the southeastern U.S.
Another possibility are black jaguars, who are believed to have ranged North America in historical memory. Melanistic jaguars aren't common in nature, and more importantly, jaguars themselves were hunted to near extinction in the '60s. However, while they do not look exactly like cougars, they have the requisite size, and it's conceivable that there could be, for example, a breeding population hidden in the Louisiana bayou. The Jaguar has had several photographically confirmed and many unconfirmed sightings in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and southwest Texas, but not outside that region.
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"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them"
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I might also add, that there has NEVER been a confirmed melanistic cougar (Mountain lion) or Florida Panther (simply a subspecies of the Mountain Lion), EVER. Cougars do not naturally exist in the south east. Bears are occasionally found in Mississippi, and are not uncommon in Georgia. At a quick glance, they could easily be mistaken for a big cat.
Last edited by duramax on Thu Nov 15, 2007 8:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
duramax wrote:I might also add, that there has NEVER been a confirmed melanistic cougar (Mountain lion) or Florida Panther (simply a subspecies of the Mountain Lion), EVER. Cougars do not naturally exist in the south east. Bears are occasionally found in Mississippi, and are not uncommon in Georgia.
dammit man, do NOT go ruining this diatribe w/ rational thought and facts!!!!!
gator
HRCH Eight Gauge - Gauge (see you on the bridge buddy)
HRCH Eight Gauge's Mountain Man - Trapper
HRCH Eight Gauge's Mountain Man - Trapper
I'm sorry. I suppose now that I think about it, any strange noise at night is probably cause by a 'black panther'. Not a brown, pink, or green one. A black one.got so scared last night that when the wind picked up, i heard a noise (i ain't saying what it was, i'm just saying)..............strange noise.
man, all i knew to do was go run and hide under the bed.
the wife leaned over and said in her usual understanding voice, "what the hell are you doing!!"
i explained to her what i heard.......w/ a roll of the eyes she opened the door and there it was. my "panther"............................windchimes.
WINDCHIMES, MAN....................................just goes to show ya what a wild imagination and some bourbon will cause
gator
man, all i knew to do was go run and hide under the bed.
the wife leaned over and said in her usual understanding voice, "what the hell are you doing!!"
i explained to her what i heard.......w/ a roll of the eyes she opened the door and there it was. my "panther"............................windchimes.
WINDCHIMES, MAN....................................just goes to show ya what a wild imagination and some bourbon will cause
gator
HRCH Eight Gauge - Gauge (see you on the bridge buddy)
HRCH Eight Gauge's Mountain Man - Trapper
HRCH Eight Gauge's Mountain Man - Trapper
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watchumouth
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gator.... you's about a dumb ass.. oh wait the ivory billed was extinct.. nope just found it again. the panther is still here. i have never seen one but my dad saw one in plain few in the middle of the day trot across the road. my grand dad has lived in isola his whole life and seen panthers before.
Cut em' Boys
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gator wrote:got so scared last night that when the wind picked up, i heard a noise (i ain't saying what it was, i'm just saying)..............strange noise.
man, all i knew to do was go run and hide under the bed.
the wife leaned over and said in her usual understanding voice, "what the hell are you doing!!"
i explained to her what i heard.......w/ a roll of the eyes she opened the door and there it was. my "panther"............................windchimes.
WINDCHIMES, MAN....................................just goes to show ya what a wild imagination and some bourbon will cause
gator
If some animals are good at hunting and others are suitable for hunting, then the Gods must clearly smile on hunting.
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