Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index The black panther does not exist as a separate species. It is a genetic variant that appears in several species of cats, but is most common in jaguars (Panthera onca), and leopards (Panthera pardus). Close examination of one of these black cats will show that the typical markings are still there, and are simply hidden by the surplus of black pigment. Cats with melanism can co-exist with litter mates that do not have this condition, nor does it mean that either parent exhibited this trait. It can be argued that melanism is a favorable evolutionary mutation. The Black Panther is the name of a superhero in Marvel Comics. See also: Panther This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.