Black Panther

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A black panther is a black color variant of one of several species of large cats which are often known by the term "panther". Panther in North America is most commonly used for the cougar or mountain lion, in Latin America it is most often used to mean a jaguar, and elsewhere in the world it usually refers to the leopard. Not all Panthers are black, but normally colored for the species (tawny, spotted, or white.)

The remainder of the information provided herein relates to the jaguar.

The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and on average the largest and most powerful feline in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Mexico (with occasional sightings in the southwestern United States) across much of Central America and south to Paraguay and northern Argentina. The jaguar's elusive nature and the inaccessibility of much of its preferred habitat make it a difficult animal to sight and even more difficult to study. Although the jaguar is not currently an endangered species, its numbers are declining. Threats include habitat loss and fragmentation. While international trade in jaguars or their parts is prohibited, the cat is still regularly killed by humans, particularly in conflicts with ranchers and farmers in South America.

Jaguar - Fast Facts

Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Average lifespan in the wild: 12 to 15 years
Size: Head and body, 5 to 6 ft (1.5 to 1.8 m); Tail, 2 to 3 ft (0.6 to 0.9 m)
Weight: 125 to 210 lbs (57 to 95 kg)
Status: STABLE

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