The term, “black panther,” is actually just used to describe a very darkly colored leopard or jaguar.
Only about 6% of big cats are born with a genetic trait called melanism meaning the animals have an excess of black pigment. The dark fur of a panther is still full of the typical markings of a leopard and in full sunlight you can actually see its spots. At night however, the black panther appears invisible to its prey and has often been referred to as the “ghost of the forest.
